Soul Calibur: Kitsune Wanderer
by The Swordslinger
Summary: Losing doesn't mean one can stop living, he just needs to get his head in place and keep on walking. When Naruto finds himself in new problems issuing a cursed sword and his past trying to weight him down, what does he do? He smiles, lets out a chuckle, and punches life in the face. Strong Naruto. Harem. Konoha, Sasuke, and mostly Patroklos bashing. Two-shot. Poll in profile.


I OWN NOTHING

**IMPORTANT NOTE:** This takes place in Soul Calibur 5, so if your favorite character doesn't appear, excuse me. However, I do think you'll forgive me because of what I'm about to do to the "hero" of that game. This fic was made because, aside from the hatred burning in my heart aimed at Kishimoto, there's hatred burning at the moron who put his Mary-Sue's and Gary-Stu's in Soul Calibur. First fighting game I played was Soul Calibur 2, and it was fun. But then, Patroklos came, and let's just say after having some of my most favorite characters kicked out, it wasn't good that he and Sasuke were far too much alike (stealing spotlight from the real heroes like Talim who try to save as many lives as they can, taking all the glory while slaughtering thousands, being hell-bent on killing everyone they dislike, doing as they please despite what others say, killing everyone they meet because of their selfish goals, and just have everything working their way with the consequences harming others) so do expect me to vent some anger out here.

**Secondary note**: For those of you into dark fics, there will be a second fic which will have Naruto getting Soul Edge instead of Soul Calibur. In this one he'll be more of a righteous hero, but in the next fic expect him to act more serious. I am sorry if I'm taking time away from my other fics but, like many of you, I'm not liking the way Kishimoto's writing so let's call this story my final step to freedom from all the searing waves of hatred broadcasted from all over the nations and the universe towards Kishimoto's Uchiha-dick snorting, dried up little brain and Patroklos.

**XXXXXX**

A loud cry of pain, a blond youth in shredded orange pants and a bloodied black muscle shirt stepped back. The young man held the right side of his face with a pained growl as it bled deeply. His right eye was gone, and his face sported a large cut from the jaw, across his eye and all the way up to his forehead. Naruto was weak after the fight with Madara, and he was supposedly being backed up by thousands of shinobi, or so he thought. He still had to consider the Uchiha and his loyal minions, who stood by the sidelines, waiting. However, his first thought was to stop Madara and the Juubi so the world had a tomorrow, but now he was paying the consequences of trusting a traitor.

"Don't worry, loser. I left your other eye so you can see me in my moment of glory." Sasuke said as he extended his arms to his side, admiring his chokuto still bathed in Naruto's blood.

"Isn't it enough to have the Shargingan?!" Naruto growled as he stood up. So far he had been doing most of the work in the war, Sasuke just arrived at the last minute to give the finishing blow. Naruto had fought along his friends, bled for them, and just kept on going all out. This made Naruto's blood boil, "You have all the power you want with your bloodline, you don't need more. All you are is a brat who wants everything."

Sasuke smirked, "Then I'll show you my true power." He said as he stood forward before the Leaf shinobi, "Tell me, all of you shinobi of the Lead, who is your savior?! Who defeated the Juubi?! Was it me or some pathetic demon?!" he cackled as several ninjas started to shout his name, making him turn to Naruto with a smirk before aiming his blade at him, "Now tell me, who is the hero here? I have everything you'll never have, and I took everything you ever had, including your pathetic little friends; I wouldn't like to see any worm who could praise you in MY village. Your allies, all gone; any chance for you to defeat me is non-existent because, unlike you, I am smart. You are the loser here. Now, who is the hero?"

"Definitely not you!" a womanly voice said as Mei Terumi appeared on the scene, bleeding from her side but managing to strike the Uchiha from the side with a well place magma shot. As she spit the molten lava and got the boasting Uchiha whose guard was down as he tried to prove his superiority, Naruto took his chance and disappeared in his Hiraishin. Sasuke turned furiously at Mei, roaring in pain and agony as his back was starting to burn with the magma making his clothes burst into flames. Just as the Uchiha started to summon his Susanooh to try to put off the fire and kill the wounded Mei, Naruto appeared by his side and stole the traitor's chokuto.

It was instantly over. With a swift slash to the right shoulder that took the Uchiha's entire arm, Mei's life was saved. Before the traitorous bastard could react, Naruto easily spun around and cut him in two, the blade infused with wind chakra to slice across Sasuke's intestines and make him spit blood as his torso fell separated from his legs. And yet, the Uchiha still tried to live as his organs flopped out of his body. He gave a loud cry of despair as his skin was still being burned by Mei's magma. Naruto scoffed at the sight of the one person who ruined his and countless other lives, just before he raised the chokuto, held with the tip aimed to the ground, and stabbed it on the Uchiha's crotch, to make sure the Leaf didn't have any spawn like him.

The burning torso was slowly getting charbroiled, the skin was already gone along the hair, and flesh and bone started to get the shade of a burnt steak meal, "N-Naruto! W-Who the f-fu-fuck do you t-th-think you are?! I a-am an Uchiha…" and he said no more.

Naruto sighed in relief but stumbled around. He had lost a lot of blood fighting the Juubi before losing his eye. As he fell, he noticed the entrancing aroma of a woman's perfume accompanied by the smell of sea salt. Mei did her best to carry the boy as she looked at the Leaf shinobi racing at them. She winced as her side was still barely healed, and she just used the last of her chakra to give Naruto a chance. Her allies were gone too, her shinobi were probably trying to fight back the Leaf or were blocked by said cruel shinobi to get to her.

"Over here!" cried a voice, Mei turned up to look at a gigantic toad which she recognized as Naruto's Boss Summon. The toad offered Mei her hand and she carried herself and Naruto to it. With everyone safe, Gamakichi returned back home along the few real heroes of the war.

XXXXXX

Naruto had instantly been carried to the medical bay after what happened to him. Several toads, even slugs and Mei herself had been treating him for hours, even managing to work a blood transfusion. After the war, Gamakichi and Gamabunta had sent several messenger toads to get every single person who could be an ally to Naruto. So far, not a single Leaf shinobi was in which meant whatever real friends Naruto had in that village had been killed by Sasuke. Meanwhile, Naruto rested on the bed with his torso entirely covered by bandages, with the strong smell of healing herbs all over it, and around his head was a bandage to cover his permanently shut right eye.

Outside of his room, Mei sighed in relief as her own wounds were being treated by a slug. It seemed that Tsunade's slug summons were fond of the Kyuubi's container and good friends with the toads. As soon as she was patched up and she put on her kimono, she heard some commotion outside, she peeked out and saw as an elder toad approached her.

"I have been visited by our messengers." Was all that the toad said, straight to the point.

Mei sighed, "Could you please wait until he is okay?"

The toad shook his head, "I am afraid this is of utter importance, given your position right now. Do you know of the other Kages?"

Mei was fearful at the edge in the elder man's tone, but she knew part of it, "Lat I remember, I was the first to stand up before that traitor started to kill all of our shinobi."

The toad nodded solemnly, "Mizukage-sama, I'm sorry, but you're the only remaining Kage. Most of the shinobi died after the Uchiha betrayed them and used his followers in the Leaf to slay every single person who opposed him."

Mei was shocked, her eyes went wide, "But, what of the other villages?"

The toad scoffed at first but calmed down as best as he could, "The alliance is nothing but a joke for the Leaf, no matter the number. Stone Country, Cloud Country, and even Wind Country are willing to follow you together to bring down the Leaf and work as one true country. The Five Daimyo's have agreed on this, however, the Fire Daimyo is no longer in control of his own village, who still worship the Uchiha as if he were their god." He looked at her seriously, "However, Iron Country can't be neutral with the Leaf's actions. They have kicked them out of the alliance and the entire Elemental Nations have declared them number one public enemies. The Leaf have been forced to go into hiding, but every single village, big or small, are hunting them down."

Mei sighed, taking it all in, "What of Naruto?"

"Everyone thinks he is dead." The toad said with a sigh. "After the battle, the Leaf proclaimed how Naruto had lost his life to the Uchiha, and while several shinobi claimed that you managed to strike down the bastard, none seem aware that he still lives."

"It may be for the better." Naruto said as he stepped out of his room with a slug on his shoulder, using crutches to hold his weight.

"Don't strain yourself!" Mei said as she looked worryingly at him, trying to see if he was worse truly that badly hurt, "Please, just go back to your bed and rest you earned it."

Naruto chuckled weakly, "Sorry, it just got boring laying there… you don't mind making me company, do you?" he asked as the Mizukage inadvertently held Naruto in her arms for support.

She blushed a bit but kept her upbeat smile, "Sure, everything for the hero. However, don't get too used to this, the other countries will sure want to see you."

"Actually…" Naruto started as Mei helped him to his room. Once inside, he continued, "I don't think I want to go back."

"What?!" Mei shouted in disbelief.

Naruto sat on his bed, "I've been thinking, while I was down… I don't have any more attachments to the Leaf. My friends are gone, but I am still alive. After all I've been through… I am actually free." He said with a large, and actually true smile on his face, as if he were in Paradise, "No more sneers, no more fighting for traitors, no more following a bastard… I mean, sure, I miss my friends but…I am free… I am finally able to… to be me, to do what I want without having to respond to anyone… I can be myself."

Mei was taken back, "So, you know of…"

"Yes… I heard you talking about how Gaara, Killer Bee, A, and the others were gone…" he rubbed his face, as if to wake himself up, "It feels like a bad dream. Yet, here I am… I can still move forward… I can finally choose what to do with my life…" he patted the spot beside him for the redhead beauty of a Hokage to sit, which he did, "Listen, Mizukage-sama, I don't ask for much. I want to finally enjoy my life, no longer being seen as a demon, or a Jinchuuriki meant to be taken advantage of. I for once have the chance to live to the fullest, even see the world. If the Leaf think I am dead, I can move around the world without having to worry about them chasing me, so long as I'm careful. If I return to fight as a shinobi, it'd only mean that countries would fight for me to serve them, or try to use me in any possible way. If I return, I'd be either a weapon or a tool."

Mei looked at him; his lone cerulean eye was filled with real hope, as if his life truly depended on this. He had lost his family, friends, dignity and, as he said, his life to the Leaf. Also, he may be a few years younger than her (1), but he was really hard to say 'no' to with such a handsome face. She gave him a smile and leaned in, "Alright, if it means you can be free, I'll help you."

"Very well, I'll inform the others about this." the elder toad who had met Mei said, making her blush. "However, the loss of your eye will be a problem, not to mention it will take you a while to recover, the damage and use of demonic chakra are collecting their debts on your body."

"Then I'll wait." Naruto said with a calm smile.

"That's not gonna cut it, boy." The elder amphibian said, hopping to the youth's side, standing on his blind spot, "This loss means you won't be able to fight like you once did. Also, your body needs to adapt after all the punishment it went through due to how much chakra you spent on that war."

"So, what do you suggest, ol-" the blond started, only to barely block a strike from the incredibly fast ancient looking toad.

The amphibian smirked, "Tell me, ever thought you could take the sword?" the toad jumped back, rather impressed with Naruto's reflexes despite still being in bed, "We toads are masters of the blade, don't take us lightly when we say we could make you the most powerful swordsman to exist."

Naruto let out a chuckle, "So… I'd be basically changing careers from shinobi to wandering samurai..."

The toad smiled, "Think about it, if you're going out into the world, you could surprise anyone who wanted to fight you. Gamakichi, Gamabunta, and many toads before them mastered the blade to show themselves as worthy leaders of our kind. You are our last summoner, and the one who fought to save countless of lives, including ours, no matter the cost. I think you deserve a reward."

Naruto only smirked, eagerly looking forward to this.

XXXXXX

(10 years later. Naruto, age 27. Mei, age 30)

The sound of waves and seagulls echoed all around a simple fishing boat, a fisherman was rowing while the man who paid him for a trip stood at the tip of the boat. The customer was clad in an olive green gi, wore gray hakama pants, white socks, toe-steeled boots, and carried a straw hat atop his head to block the sun. He had a lean, manly face, his golden hair was chin-length, tied into a short and spiky top knot ponytail, and his body was slim, even skinny, but rather bulky and made for speed. On his back the man carried a simple nodachi, a two handed long-bladed version of a katana. The large blade was strapped to his torso with a simple black belt tightened by a frog shaped golden buckle. Its handle and sheath were white as snow, the circular guard made of gold, and the tip of the sheath and the handle's butt were also decorated with gold. The sword was designed to look simple, but its carrier was far more than simple.

The man looked at a letter in his hands, reading it with his only good eye, the right eye permanently closed with a scar across the eyelid. A smile crossed his whiskered cheeks. A voice rang in his head, "**I'm telling you, she totally wants you. I mean, read between lines! I know she's three years older than you, but take advantage. Just look at the damn pictures she's sending you!**" Kurama had a point, Mei had sent him a picture with her leaning on a hot-spring with her towel tightly gripping her hourglass figure and the brim of those rosy nipples of hers poking slightly out of the damp cloth.

Naruto sighed inwardly, '_And then what? I'm supposed to be dead. If I return, you and I know some new idiot would try to use us, possibly turn one of us into a weapon or a tool, or start fights because of our power. I am done with the world of shinobi; it doesn't have anything in it for me._' He pocketed the card and started to think what to write back, '_But you have a point… We've seen each other less and less, and we only talk through cards… Listen, next time we approach her or she's close to us, I'll give her a call and see how it goes, happy?_' "**This isn't about me, you idiot. It's about you finally having someone to love and fight for. I know you wanted something like that once, to have love. Well, don't waste the chance.**" Naruto sighed, '_Fine, I'll go get me some dango and send her a letter, I promise._'

Once reaching the his destination, a beautiful beach with white sand, clear oceans and a large town filled with lively people and a nice aroma of homemade food, Naruto reached into his gi and pulled out a small bag, from which he pulled more than enough money for his trip, "You didn't see me." He told the fisherman as he jumped into the sand, the man nodded and went back home.

"F-Food…" a voice pitifully cried in the sand.

The blond raised a brow and watched a boy with a strange red hair-cut wearing baggy yellow pants, a vest, a tiger's skin around his waist, and with a red staff in his hands. The blond swordsman raised an eyebrow as the youth, possibly a teen, tried to reach desperately at what he guessed was him. And then the kid just passed out before the man. Naruto could only raise a brow, behind the kid was a large pot and all of its contents were emptied, but it still smelled of recently made food, and the city was not far away.

He made his way to the redhead, gently flipped him with a foot, and *Slap!* tried to wake him up, "Rise and shine." He said after leaving his hand imprinted on the kid… who was still passed out. Naruto started to slap and back-hand the kid to get him to react. However, the red-haired youth was still sleeping like the dead, so either he was a masochist or he truly needed food. "Well, this is just perfect." The blond said as he finally decided that leaving his hands tattooed on some brat's face wasn't going to help. He looked in his wallet, with his savings thinning out he might as well find a temporary job. Living in the world as a wanderer meant he had to look for employers who'd want a one-eyed swordsman working with them for food and money, and so far Naruto's contractors included fishermen, dumpling cooks, some snotty nobleman who wanted a bodyguard, and sometimes even yakuza who took their job with honor and not greed.

At least he seemed to have more than enough money for two decent meals, meaning about fifty ramen bowls for him and this kid in Naruto's standards. "**You know you don't have to be nice to everyone you meet.**" Kurama said as he felt something odd with this kid, but Naruto shrugged it off, '_Yes, but I can be nice to a starving kid, I know what that feels like._' He picked the redhead and carried him on his back, piggyback style with the boy still holding his staff as if his life depended on it. The blond adjusted his hat as best he could, and walked towards the large town.

The swordsman sighed to himself as he hoped that no-one looked too weirdly at him when he approached the gates. The walk wasn't long, but that didn't mean he didn't come across people eyeing him for one reason or another. His main trouble was the guards standing at each side of the gate, each carrying a large spear and clad in armor with short swords at their waist. The two men didn't seem to notice him, they just stared into space as if they were just there for décor. But just as soon as Naruto was about to step in the town's limits, he was blocked by two crisscrossed spears.

"You shall not enter without proper documents, samurai." The guard at the right said.

"Your passport, please." Said the guard on the left as he extended his hand.

"I don't have any pass." The blond said as he hefted the kid, who was starting to tire his shoulders.

"Then leave."

Naruto groaned, "Come on, I got a kid starving on my back, and some of my backbones are about to give up along my shoulders… Geez, he's damn heavy." The blond rolled his shoulders around, trying to ease some of the tension from carrying the redhead.

The guards stood their ground, one of them speaking, "Sorry, but we are in lock-down due to reports of malfested and their hunters running around. Even if you wanted to enter, it'd be by your own risk. You should be grateful and move to another town, Mr. Samurai."

"Malfested? The Hell are those?" Naruto asked.

The other guard replied, "Dangerous people with dark powers, tie to the cursed Soul Edge. It is unknown what they could do, but it is said that several bloodsheds have plagued the land because of several ones. I even heard there are some hunters who take their job far too extreme and… well, we're here to make sure no innocent civilian gets hurt."

"Well, if you don't want anyone to get hurt, help this kid get some food… and tell me where I can find a massage parlor." Naruto said as he tried to remain calm, and keeping the rather heavy kid on his back from falling.

The guards looked at each other with concern, "He seems like a nice guy, maybe we could let this one slip."

"Idiot, the captain would have our heads! Not to mention, there's the rumor that we could be attacked with all those last malfested hunts nearby. Did you hear what they said about the guy leading it? Do you want your family targeted by him?" the other guard snapped, making his friend hang his head low. "Exactly what I thought, so just do your job. If Graf Dumas' loyal mutt gets in here, say goodbye to them."

Naruto sighed, "Honestly, I prefer not to fight… But if push comes to shove, I can hold my own against skilled warriors with a few tricks."

The guards got ready for fighting, holding their spears in a defensive manner… only to see the blond vanishing from sight. "Where did he go?!" one of them cried, before the other pulled his sleeve to call his attention and pointed a finger up, aiming at the airborne blond who was about thirty stories in the air, soaring up in the skies as if he were flying like fucking Superman above the city and disappearing from view. Naruto landed softly on a roof, his steps being unheard as if he were a feather. He smirked when looking at the town's gates, seeing the guards trying to figure out where the Hell he had gone to.

One good thing about being trained by toads in kenjutsu: you learned how to jump better than any other shinobi, making flying against you completely useless.

XXXXXX

As Naruto walked in the large town looking for food after leaving the redhead hidden in an alley nearby, he made the best he could to listen to what the commotion with the guards could be about, which was surprisingly easy because the entire town was just as alert as the soldiers. Every now and again a door or window would be double-checked, several guards ran in rows to secure the place, and kids were pulled inside their homes just as the son started to set down. He also kept his ears on some conversations: malfested, holy knights, the familiar name of Graf Dumas, and sometimes people spoke about a sword with a strange name: Soul Edge.

But he had a teen to feed, and the nearest joint that was still open despite the immense security was good enough for him: a BBQ pub. He chuckled at one simple thought, "Seems as if Chouji led me here… Ah, better feed the kid, then myself and then be on my way." He adjusted his hat to hide his face from view as entered the place; the aroma of grilled beef was more than enough to water his mouth, "Well, time to get some chow."

"You said it, old man." Someone said as he dashed past Naruto. The blond blinked his only eye as the redhead he had picked up just ran into the pub and sat in a nearby table, already ordering, "I want three orders of ribs, the steak, two orders of pork-chops, turkey legs, add in some-"

"Hey, hey, are you even gonna pay for that?" the waiter asked as Naruto walked to the kid.

The boy blushed, scratching the back of his head, "Well… My friends are in here, so-"

"Put it on my tab." Naruto said as he sat with the redhead, resting his nodachi at his side, "And I'll have what he's having, and something to chug it down."

"Like a barrel of water?" the waiter asked with a raised brow as the kid had asked more than enough for eight people and still kept on ordering. He then looked at Naruto with a look of disdain, "Besides, I doubt someone could pay for all of that unless they were a noble man. So, if this is your idea of a joke-"

Naruto sighed and pulled out his wallet, laying its contents on the table, "This should be enough." He said calmly, "Just don't expect a tip." He said as an afterthought without missing a beat for the remarks, making the waiter hang his head low. The blond then turned to the animalistic kid, "So, kiddo… Why the Hell did you make me carry you?"

"What're you talking about, old man?" the boy asked with a raised brow as he leaned on his seat, tilting his head to the side to get a better view of the chef cooking his meal, "All I know is that the delicious smell of that godly grill woke me up."

"You were in the middle of the beach, passed out, and begging for food." The swordsman reminded the kid.

"Oh… that…" the redhead started as if he remembered something he forgot in his grocery list, "Well, now that you mention it, that'd explain why I woke in an alley… I must have passed out after that succulent pork stew. Man, were we lucky to hunt that boar, and dear god was it good…"

"Stop drooling." Naruto said as he tossed a handkerchief on the kid's face so he wiped a trail of drool, "Anyways, you said something about being in a group, right?"

"Yeah, they went in here to get supplies, but told me to stay outside because they didn't want to buy me lunch. It's not my fault to eat everything I like and I bet it has nothing to do with our budget." The hungry boy said as if he were an attempted murder's victim.

"Considering what I'm paying here, that doesn't surprise me." Naruto said, looking at his wallet, not expecting it to be as chubby and lovely as it usually was. "**This is what happens for being nice to idiots.**" '_You mean I should've made like the Leaf and take a hike?_' "**Good point, still, you should expect sleeping on the streets.**" '_Done so already, besides, I prefer to have company… And yes, that means I'll get in touch with Mei, after this meal._' The fox nodded to himself, and when the food arrived he decided to get some sleep.

"So, who are you, Good Guy? (2)" the kid asked through mouthfuls of turkey leg, "I'm Xiba, a pleasure to meet you."

"Why are you calling me good guy all of a sudden?" Naruto asked with a raised brow, making the kid smile.

"You gave me food, so you're definitely a good guy."

'_This kid's so easy to buy he may as well be free._' Naruto thought with a sweat-drop.

"So, what's your name?" Xiba asked again.

"Name's Kazama." Naruto lied expertly, knowing better than to use his real name and get unwanted attention, now knowing better than to trust anyone.

"Well, thanks for the food, Good Guy." The hungry boy said as he inhaled even more food.

Naruto let out a tired sigh, but at least enjoyed having someone who talked to him with a genuine smile on his face. "So, aren't you going to find your friends? I bet they must be worried sick about you." The blond said as he enjoyed a large jar of booze. If he had learned something from Jiraiya and Tsunade, aside from gambling, was how to get drunk properly. So far he didn't feel any proper tingle, so he was still sober.

Xiba looked up from his third turkey leg, "Well, I may as well get looking for them. Leixia is sure to nag at me, Natsu will surely back her up, being her bodyguard, and Maxi, our mentor, must be worried."

"Tough friends?" Naruto asked casually.

"More like tough teammates." Xiba replied with a shrug as he kept on eating. "I mean, we do our job just fine… But it's a bit tiresome and gets me hungry, and Leixia always tells me to be serious, and because of that Natsu's always trying to calm her down when she wants to test her skills. Maxi's cool, though, he always looks after us, and always thinks of us first, he even cooked that nice boar stew before looking for food in here."

Naruto closed his eye, taking it all in with a small smile and a chuckle, '_It's like another shinobi rookie team… Man, irony is like the only true friend I had my whole life._' He shook his head slightly, "So, what brings you here? Looking for something important or do you have the need to see the world?"

"Nothing like that, Good Guy." Xiba replied, waving at the blond. "We're here to train and get some answers, but he says it will be part of the training or something… Are you gonna finish that pork-chop?"

"Yes, he is, because you have a lot to answer." Called a voice behind the duo, making Naruto tilt his hat carefully to get a better look of the newcomers.

The one closest to him was the last one to speak, a girl with ginger-blonde hair in a curious hairstyle consisting on multiple ponytails, wore a skin-tight kunoichi outfit that covered her from her thighs up, leaving her legs uncovered. The blonde girl has armor in her arms, shoulders and hips, carried a ninjato behind her shoulders and another on the back of her waist. The man sitting between her and another girl was a middle-aged man with a decent amount of muscle, black hair slicked back but with a long bang hanging before his face and reaching his chin; he wore a white suit with an opened jacket to leave his bare chest exposed and had black boots and a pair of nunchucks on his right hip. Last but not least at the far side of the counter was a black haired petite teenage girl with her hair done in dual rings atop her head with pigtails. The last girl was wearing a yellow dress with a blue top, blue detached sleeves and a blue choker with a matching jewel hanging from it, while by her side was a Chinese sword.

The latter had been the one to speak, looking tiredly at the monkey-like boy, "Honestly, Xiba, you can't do anything but think of food? And now you got this poor guy to feed your endless pit for a stomach? Don't you know we have better things to do besides stuffing your face?" she pointed a finger at the redhead who smiled sheepishly, "You're supposed to have a duty, something you must take care of with your life. Try to be more serious about it instead of inhaling more food. Besides…" at this point she let out a sigh, "We were worried sick about you the moment we found you gone, we were lucky Maxi was right thinking you'd be here."

"Hey, hey…" Naruto cut in, trying to defend his new friend, "I invited him here, so it's my fault. Give the guy a break… Leixia, is it?"

"How did you know my name?" the girl asked, looking at the stranger in more detail. A slight hue of pink got to her cheeks, his kimono was slightly opened to show a slim but very fit and strong torso, and with his hat's brim out of the way she could see a lean, manly face.

The ginger girl noted this, "Leixia-sama, focus. It's not time for you to go man-hunting again; we have a duty, remember. Besides, he's way too old for you." She said casually, looking at Naruto with wary eyes.

Leixia shook her head, "Right, right… Sorry about that, mister…"

"Kazama, and your friend told me." He said, nodding towards Xiba, "He's been fun to have as an eating buddy."

"All right then, Mister Kazama." The man, Maxi, said as he calmly sat in front of the blond at the table, "Thank you for having patience with Xiba, I know he's a handful. However… there's a little problem." He said, rubbing his chin with his hand as he looked intently at Naruto, "You see, we're looking for several things, and last thing I heard was that a man with blond hair could be related to someone I am looking for, a man who I loathe entirely and who could very well have some shady allies. So, do tell, what makes this conversation with Xiba just a friendly talk and not, let's say, gathering information on us?"

Naruto chuckled nervously, tilting his hat down, "Am I really that suspicious or are you just paranoid? I'd like to go with the second one."

Maxi leaned on his seat, a hand reaching for his weapon, "So, you're not dismissing you may be followed, and by us of all people." Xiba stopped eating, Leixia was gripping her sword tightly, and Natsu moved into a more defensive stance.

Naruto slowly moved his own hand to his nodachi, keeping his eye on Natsu who was on her toes, "I am afraid we live in times where everyone's looking for someone… But please, do trust me when I say I am looking for no-one. I just want to enjoy my life." He used his free hand to tap his scarred, permanently shut eye, "The only person I think I pissed off enough to hunt me left me this scar before I left him to rot. His minions may be looking for me, so if you're looking for one of them, I'd be happy to make them pay for what the bastard did to me."

At that, the group relaxed a lot, "I see… You're a sincere one, aren't you, Mister Kazama?" Maxi said with a small smile, sighing in relief as he scratched his head. "Well, as sincere as you can be." He added with a knowing smile.

Naruto nodded, a bit ashamed at not being completely honest with these guys, "Sorry for the false name, it helps to avoid unwanted attention."

Maxi grinned, "Who said anything about a name?"

Naruto face-palmed, now knowing he had been tricked. This made Leixia giggle at his defeat by her mentor's wits, "You're a clever man, Maxi." He admitted.

"You get the hang of it with some work, and living in these times." The man said with a chuckle, "Anyways, I guess I should repay you for helping Xiba, don't you think?"

"What for?" Naruto asked with a raised brow.

The man smirked, "It's something that will require a little effort in your part. We have enough to pay you for all of this, and a small favor we'd like to ask you. I shall make it worth your while."

"Tempting…" Naruto admitted.

Natsu smirked, "Well, we may not be fond of following rules, but you seem like a good guy. However, knowing Maxi and our current trouble, we'll need something from you."

Leixia then smiled at him, "Besides, you'd be working with two pretty girls."

Naruto waved dismissively at her, "Sorry, I'm only into mature women." He replied, making a mental note to write to Mei as soon as this was over.

Natsu puffed her cheeks, pouting rather cutely, "What's that supposed to mean? We're growing women!"

"Calm down, Natsu." Leixia said as she tried a different approach, "Have you heard of the new passport system?" she smirked when Naruto shook his head, "You see, the wars around this country have forced the towns and cities to increase their security. Bandits and pirates are taken down in seconds if they don't have the proper paperwork… However, we do have some… contacts."

Before Naruto could ask, Natsu smirked, pulling out a small paper rectangle, "How about it, old man? Free passes to any city you want, without having to look behind your back if some guard wants to kick you out." The ninja girl said with a cheeky grin.

Well, that was nice. Then again he could outrun the guards, find himself a nice alley and sleep there. But he'd be lying if he said he wouldn't want to sleep in a hotel. Also, he needed to find himself a job to earn money, and if security was really that serious, he doubted anyone would pay him without some proper curriculums… And he was also a bit bored.

XXXXXX

"I'm supposed to fight you?!" Naruto asked atop an abandoned roof of a building the blond swordsman's new friends seemed to use as a hideout, "Are you kidding me? I'm sorry, but…it's not that I don't like a good fight, but these are freaking kids we're talking about."

Maxi shook his head, "Trust me, I know. However, these kids could use some real fighting against someone experienced and who they don't know."

"Lame…" Xiba complained, not enjoying the idea of fighting because it always made him hungry.

The black haired man sighed, ruffling his hair before pulling it back to its usual style with the bang still perfectly tamed before his face, "You look like a strong man yourself, Kazama. It's been a while since we've had a decent fight, and I want these three to have some proper growth as fighters instead of getting used to fighting each other or me. Besides, it doesn't matter whether you win or lose, we will give you the passport."

Naruto sighed, it was counterfeit, but it was a perfect counterfeit. "Fine, but on the condition that they must surrender when I mimic a fatal blow."

Maxi nodded and motioned for the first of his protégés to face Naruto, "Well, you're good looking, but that doesn't mean I'll hold back." Leixia said as she and Naruto stood in front of each other. Naruto simply took out his nodachi in a standard samurai stance, but the moment the Chinese girl thought he'd be predictable with his movements, he lowered the sword's tips to the ground, moving the blade to his right side.

He smiled warmly at her, "Just be careful, I'm rather strong." He said as he jumped forward, making the swordswoman let out a yelp at his speed. That jump was basically just him flying like a bullet at her. She managed to flip to the side in a cart-wheel before she stuck her own stance based in old-school kung-fu swordplay. Naruto stepped forward and kept on the attack, Leixia smiled as she saw him bringing his sword up, so she moved her own to block it… and just when she thought she could counter him, she watched as a blade nearly twice her sword's length disappeared. Her eyes widened in shock before she saw the blade once again, moving straight to her face. The girl let out another yelp as she jumped back and swung her sword to deflect the blond man's stab.

"W-What did he just do?!" Natsu shouted in disbelief, "I saw him going for a slash, and then he just… how did he do that?!"

Xiba, currently eating some cookies, stopped as he looked in amazement. So, seeing as his protégés were still inexperienced, Maxi explained it, "He's using his own killer intent on Leixia to toy with her mind." He said, looking intently at the battle, "That fox's rather good to make a faint look like a fatal blow, give him that, because this might be a good lesson for you three."

"You mean we're gonna fight someone much stronger than us whether we like it or not?" Xiba almost moaned, before sighing, "Okay… I kinda get it, we need to be strong… But Good Guy's just playing with Leixia, it'll be hard to hit him." He said as the girl tried hard to attack the blond man, who either jumped out of the way by disappearing in blurs of speed or swatted her sword singlehandedly out of his way.

Naruto then decided to basically dance around his opponent, avoiding slashes, stabs, kicks and dangerous flips. As Leixia tried to keep up with him, he ducked, jumped and dashed away from her attacks, trying to get her to be more aggressive. He soon succeeded as the girl jumped over him, rolling over his back with her own and turned around for a slash. He instantly parried the attack by putting his blade to his side, with his left hand pushing the blade back. And just as quickly, he spun around towards the girl and swung his nodachi while her Jian passed by him. Leixia felt her blood going cold as the blade approached her, but lost a heartbeat when it stopped right when it was above Naruto's head.

"Do you want to keep going?" he asked with a smile.

The girl panted as she stepped back, trying to regain her thoughts, "I guess I better turn that offer down… I want to be stronger, but defeating you is out of my reach… for now." she gave him a challenging smirk, showing she was eager for a rematch.

Natsu stepped in, jumping in front of her girl friend, "Now's my turn. Get ready, old man, no-one hurts or mocks Leixia-sama in front of me without getting a scratch."

The blond nodded, taking a new stance. He sheathed his sword as he crouched down, his right hand hovering over the handle as the blade waited to lash out. But as he got ready to fight, he heard Kurama finally waking up, "**Naruto… Can you sense it? That energy in her, it has to be a demon.**" '_A Jinchuuriki?!_' Naruto took a step back, confusing the others.

"What is it, Mister Kazama? Afraid of a little girl?" Maxi taunted him, though his questioning gaze said he saw more than met the eye.

The blond shook his head, "No… It's just… Heh, she reminds me a lot of how I used to be as a kid…" he admitted, making Natsu smirk.

"Sorry, unlike Leixia-sama, I'm not into older men."

"So does that mean you're into your _Leixia-sama_?" Naruto asked with a cocky smirk, mocking her tone of voice when speaking of the Chinese girl, making Natsu blush horribly.

"H-Hey! Where the Hell did that come from?!" she asked, shaking an enraged fist, "Leixia-sama is my best friend, so of course I value her more than anything, but I still like dudes! We're just friends! Nothing else! I live to serve Leixia-sama, so I just value her more than other people… Wait, no, I didn't mean… Argh!" the kunoichi just grabbed her head and went to sulk in a corner, furious at how her own tongue betrayed her.

"So, does this means I go next?" Xiba asked as he stood before Naruto, hefting his staff on his shoulder, "Sorry, Good Guy, but if I want to keep on eating, I must show Maxi I can fight."

Naruto could only just rise a brow, '_This kid has to be related to someone I know._' he scratched the back of his head, and asked, "Are you perhaps carrying the last name Akimichi, related to someone with spirals in their cheeks, or have relatives known to be shinobi?"

Xiba looked confusedly at the blond, "Akimichi? That sounds like some tasty Japanese meal, is it good?"

"That's a no." Naruto sighed as he looked at the kids, '_We got a Jinchuuriki, a guy who is more voracious than Chouji, a tomboy princess with a sword, and their caring mentor… Irony's outdoing itself here._'

Xiba grinned, "Well, let's get fighting before my cookies get bland." And so the fight began, with the thought of those cookies' span on the line. The redhead dashed at Naruto, who brought up his blade for a simple block only to see the kid going down and attempting a stab to his ankles to get him off-balance. Naruto stepped back but the kid persisted, Xiba squatted on the ground and spun his staff around like a helicopter blade, jumping over it as he kept on aiming at Naruto's ankles. The blond samurai was forced to jump over the kid and land safely away. Xiba simply rolled back up using his staff as a support before stabbing it on the roof, using his feet to support himself over his weapon, like some monkey who climbed all the way up to a tree.

"**Okay, he may as well be related to the monkeys from the old fart's summoning contract.**" Kurama said as Xiba watched atop his perch at what Naruto would do next.

"Hey, aren't you going to attack, Good Guy? I'm starving up here." The boy moaned, really wanting to end the fight as soon as possible.

Naruto smirked at the opportunity served before him on a silver platter, "If you manage to land a strike on me, I'll buy you another meal."

Maxi widened his eyes, "Wait, Xiba, don't fall for it!" he cried, a bit too late. The mention of food made the monkey boy jump from his perch along said perch, bringing it up above his head for a downward blow like he wielded a sword. Naruto saw the move coming a mile away and stepped aside. The instant the staff was on the ground the blond didn't give the kid a chance to retaliate and stepped on his weapon, using his chakra to glue himself to the ground and keep Xiba from lifting it. The redhead did try his best to recover his weapon, even attempting to kick Naruto, but the instant the samurai's blade found itself inches from his neck, Xiba knew to admit defeat and that his next pigging out wouldn't be a reality… on the bright side, he still had cookies.

"If you face someone, ignore everything they're saying. They'll only tell you the truth once you've beaten it out of them."

Xiba widened his eyes in horror as if someone just murdered a puppy before him, "Wait, you mean you were lying about the meal?! Oh man, so not cool, Good Guy."

"No, I would have kept my promise… Though you would have to wait until I got some money." The blond said with the last part mumbled under his breath.

"Well, it's my turn now, old man!" Natsu said as she jumped up and got into her own stance, finally having regained her composure, "You'll pay for what you said."

Naruto chuckled lightly as he sheathed his sword, "Knock yourself out, kid." And he pretty much repeated his fight with Leixia, he dodged Natsu's ninjutsu strikes with casual dodges or a lightning speed jump away from her range. Being a ninja once, he knew very well how to read those moves, not to mention he might as well be cheating by using his chakra sensing ability to read their attacks like an open book. However, he managed to anger the ginger by not drawing out his sword. He kept on dodging, hands in his pockets and the blades missing him. Natsu finally decided to cheat herself and when she got closer to Naruto she took out a pair of bomb pellets, throwing them to the ground at Naruto's feet. She heard the blond coughing as she contained her breath and dashed in for a kick.

She felt her foot connect with something, but the moment of joy was cut short as she noticed two things, one, it was too light, and two, the thing he kicked was way too small to be the samurai. As the smoke disappeared and she kept her foot midair, she noted that her leg was used as a perch for Naruto's gi… and that a nodachi flew up to take off her swords. As her ninjatos were sent sky-high, she tried to turn… and came face to face with before Naruto's nodachi aimed to her neck as the blond man slung his olive green gi on one shoulder.

"Little tip: always keep your cool against the unpredictable." Naruto said as he sheathed his sword and put on his gi.

Natsu lowered her head, "Fine, but next time, I will make you be sorry for what you said of Leixia-sama."

"Alright, alright, enough of that, Natsu." Maxi said as he stepped forward, "Well, you're ridiculously strong yourself for a young samurai, Mister Kazama." He said before handing the blond the counterfeit passport, "This should give you clearance to most cities. It may not be legal, but I bet it beats sleeping outside with the wars going on."

"Thank you." Naruto said with a polite bow, "Still, if you guys feel that you are stronger, I'd be eager to have a rematch."

"Only if you keep that promise about the meal." Xiba said with determination in his eyes.

Naruto let out a short laugh but nodded, "Ok, ok, I'd rather you didn't think of me as a bad guy for not keeping my word."

Leixia grinned, "Well, I shall look forward to meeting you again. Beating you is sure to make me stronger."

"Leixia-sama, please, I shall be the one to beat him after what he said about us." the kunoichi said, trying to fight back a blush at the image of what the blond implied.

Naruto then approached the kunoichi, giving the ginger something, "Here." He said simply, handing her a three-pronged kunai. "I know of some special abilities in the shinobi world. I used to be one before becoming a samurai." He said, interesting Natsu.

"So, is this some secret, deadly weapon to assure a bond of rivals?" the girl asked with an enormous grin, happy to be seen as an equal by Naruto.

The blond sighed and tried to go all in, "Ever heard of the term Jinchuuriki?"

Instantly, Natsu jumped back, taking her swords in a defensive manner, Maxi stood before her with his nunchucks ready to protect her, even Xiba looked a bit angry as he held his staff while he stood beside his friend, and Leixia looked downright furious, "If you came here to hunt Natsu like those morons from her clan, I will drag you to Hell! I don't care how strong you are, you're not hurting her!" the Chinese girl said with fire in her eyes.

And what did Naruto do? He laughed. No, seriously, he laughed out loud. The quartet looked in shock and disbelief at him. He wasn't a maniac gloating in power, he was… he was actually laughing as if he were having fun or someone was torturing him with a tickle machine. It was kinda creepy from their point of view to see a man just laugh at the situation they were in. However, they took it seriously because it was their teammate, and they had no idea who or what this guy was. He had to hold his face to calm himself down before speaking.

"Sorry… I just… Sorry, I guess I got a bit melancholic…" he admitted after regaining his breath. "To see a Jinchuuriki being loved… That's new, but may be one of the best things I've seen in my entire life…"

"Just who are you?" Maxi said, still not letting go of his nunchucks.

"I know about Jinchuuriki and demons, as well as sealing methods." Naruto said, "I will tell you this much, keep that kunai. I have friends and some contacts who know a thing or two about demons. There may be some complications, but if everything goes right and I do some proper research, I guess I could help you out."

Natsu growled at him, "It's not the first time I've heard that, and the bastard tried to kill me… Do you really think I'll fall for that so easily?!"

Naruto shook his head, his smile fading slightly but he managed to keep it, "No… So trust this." He opened his gi and, with some well-focused chakra, his seal came to life. The quartet gasped when his eye turned a dark crimson with his pupil slitting into a more animalistic and feral look, "Trust me, Natsu-chan, the pain you're in is not easy to overcome, and any method I can come up with may cost you your life if you fail…But if I can help someone who knows of this pain, then at least I want to give it a shot."

"Uzumaki… Naruto…?" Maxi whispered, now knowing who he was facing. "You're supposed to be the hero of a fairy tale from a distant land. I mean, I never heard the entire details, but… does this mean that you are THAT Uzumaki Naruto?"

"It's been a while since I've been called that in public." Naruto admitted with a sigh.

The man groaned, "Legends are true… you're a pain in the ass…" he scratched his head, "But, can I trust you on this?"

Naruto smiled, "Well, I'm supposed to be a hero, right? What kind of hero would just let someone to suffer alone?"

"Thought it was all just a story; a legend that came from a far-away land. Then again, I know of some myths that are true." Maxi admitted, "I guess I can shut my mouth about who you are if you make Natsu happy."

"Is that a threat?" Naruto asked.

"Call it being my dancing monkey; if it keeps you working on helping Natsu, I say it works." Maxi stated.

"Fair enough, I would do the same." Naruto stated before giving Maxi and the kids a two fingered salute as a way of saying goodbye, "Keep the kunai, when we meet again I will do what I can to help you."

With that said, he was gone. Leixia took a deep breath, "Man… That was… This day…"

Xiba nodded, "Too much to take in…I ate with a legend."

"Is everything about you related to food?!" Leixia shouted in disbelief, before noticing that Natsu had a far-away look where Naruto once stood and her face had gone blank, "Natsu! Natsu! You ther-"

"Squeeeeeee!" The kunoichi went, jumping into the sky and hugging her chest with joy, "That was Uzumaki Naruto! The Hero Jinchuuriki! H-He's my idol! If someone like him can be a legend, a hero, then so can I! Oh, damn it! I should've gotten his autograph! Leixia-sama, why didn't you ask for his autograph?! Oh, wait! I have his kunai! This means…" and she let out another squeal as she held the sharp weapon closely.

Maxi sighed, "Way to get yourself a fan-girl, Uzumaki." He then turned to the trio, "Well, you three, start packing your things, remember we must get moving and out of this town before the sun sets down." he got three affirmative replies, leaving him to his own thoughts. If Naruto could really help Natsu, that'd earn him a drink from Maxi.

XXXXXX

Later that night, as he rested on the streets of the small town, leaning against the wall in a comfortable alley, Naruto thought back to how he met his new friends. He somehow felt comfortable watching the little team of fighters and their mentor, like a good way of portraying his childhood. Maxi seemed like a good guy, he did look after his three protégés and treated them as equals. Natsu may as well be the blond swordsman's female version, but flatter. Xiba seemed like an okay kid, a bit far too similar to himself when as a child, but hungrier. Leixia was a good girl, sure she nagged at Xiba, but rather than let that get in her way she wanted to test her skills and wanted the monkey boy to take his job seriously.

"Like a good version of Team 7." he said to himself with a melancholic sigh. "Had things been different, maybe I could have been laughing like those kids. But if it weren't for what happened, I wouldn't be this strong now. I bet I could beat a Kage and-" and realization dawned upon him, "Oh, right... Damn it. I still have to write to Mei..."

Just as he was about to reach in his gi for something to write, he felt the ground trembling. Soon screams echoed throughout the entire town, along the clash of metal against metal. Fire illuminated the skies, blood emanated in the air, and the sound of metal clashing against metal reached Naruto's ears. He cursed under his breath and jumped to the roof of the building he was in with a single leap. He looked at the town's entrance, several soldiers in armor rushing to protect their home from the invaders. There was a large army of men in black armor carrying swords, axes and spears, all charging in and killing left and right.

They were led by someone, as they seemed to be very organized, but their leader seemed to have gone off on his own. Naruto then spotted some of the guards retreating, seeing that the two guards he met that morning were along the many wounded who needed medical care. They were instantly ambushed by the knights in black armor, making Naruto growl as he leapt down.

"Do you filth have any last words?" one of the dark knights asked as he rushed in for a stab, only to watch his sword flying in the air along his hands. The offender hollered in pain when he noticed the stumps that had replaced his hands, blood started to make a large puddle on the ground while Naruto sheathed his nodachi, using his straw hat to hide his face.

"Who are you?! How dare you interrupt us from eliminating the scum of this world?!" one of the invaders asked, feeling far too important in Naruto's opinion.

"A better question would be this: who do you think you are?" Naruto asked as he kept his left hand on his sword, his right hand aiming a finger at the attackers.

The knight scoffed, "We are the men serving for Graf Dumas and our master. You have no business trying to stop us, samurai. Our duty is pure, for our master told us to cleanse this world from those who dare taint it. We shall erase the vermin of this world."

"And you actually believe every single thing you're saying?" Naruto asked as he grabbed his neck and popped a few joints back into place, "Then again, some people are terminal morons too far into their delusions."

"How dare you?!" the knight hollered as he charged at Naruto, ready to impale him with a spear. "Everyone who opposes our master is trash-"

Naruto casually unsheathed his sword, slashing up to deflect the spear, making it point its tip to the night's sky. And just as quickly, Naruto jumped forward with the power of his inhumanly strong legs, basically flying at the soldier. A quick slash later, the self-righteous knight's bottom half was separated from his top half. Naruto looked at the rest of them, wiping his sword off the blood with a swift movement of his wrist.

The dark knights all rushed at him, making Naruto sigh as he sheathed his sword, crouching as his right hand hovered over the handle. Soon, several blades pierced through his hat, but didn't cut through any flesh or even hair. Naruto had leapt into a wall three stories over the knights, who tried desperately to find him far too late, he jumped down and cut off one's head, and just as he hit the ground he jumped to another building, this time landing on a wall five stories high. He repeated this process over and over, jumping around like a rubber ball from wall to wall at lightning speeds and cutting the invading soldiers one by one in swift motions too fast for them to follow. For the guards Naruto was protecting, it was like watching gales of wind cutting through the enemies.

Once done, Naruto landed before the guards he met, taking a brief moment to grab his punctured hat to keep his face hidden, "You alright, guys?"

They regained their composure as best they could, "Y-Yes, sir!" cried one of them.

"Thank you for the assistance, sir!" the second guard shouted, as he and his partner saluted the blond.

"We could really use your help, sir. The enemy leader is headed for the plaza, and we fear his target is the civilians."

"Please, sir, lend us a hand. We shall follow you to the end of the world, but please, help us stop him from reaching our families."

Naruto didn't need to be told twice, "All right, you two better keep up. If things get tough, don't get ashamed and run away, call for back-up."

"B-But you can't mean for us to leave you alone!"

"Listen, this is war, it's either most of us getting out of it alive, or dying together." Naruto said sharply, making the guards nod.

"All right, sir, we shall follow your commands even if it kills us."

Naruto let out a chuckle, "That's a good spirit... Okay, if you guys are gonna die, at least do so for something you believe in and want to fight for."

"Sir, yes sir!" the two said as they saluted him.

"**You enjoy being called sir, don't you?**" Kurama asked his host with disdain. '_You'd love to be treated like this too, wouldn't you?_' "...**Touché**..."

Instantly, Naruto and the guards rushed to find the enemy leader. Like the guards assumed, there was someone leading the soldiers in the plaza. It was a lone soldier carrying a flag who cowered away from three men in cheap armor and barely decent weapons, clearly not soldiers from any side. The city was a mess, fire surrounded the plaza, and the poor bastard just held the flag he had as if his life depended on it.

"Those three aren't soldiers from your castle, are they?" Naruto asked.

"They are rebels, if I am correct." One of the guards replied, barely holding his anger. "They are men who opposed Graf Dumas and anyone who is sided with him… They must be the reason why Dumas' troops invaded our city!" The apparent leader of the rebels instantly took down the man with the flag, making Naruto cringe at his cold-blooded action. Then again, this was a war, and he should expect things like this.

However, someone appeared. It was a teenager with blond, curly hair, a white uniform with a matching white trench coat which had a link's fur decorating the shoulders, a red shield covering his left arm and a short sword hidden in a sheath attached to the shield. The teen captured the flag with an admiring gaze on his eyes, as if holding it meant he was a god.

"Hand over that flag!" the three men demanded him.

"This is the flag of the emperor who bestowed favors upon the graf." The kid said as if he was a righteous knight while he waved the symbol that held the hatred of the trio. Then he stabbed it on the ground, making the rebels growl.

"So he serves Graf Dumas!" one of the guards cried, Naruto tried to stop him but the man wouldn't listen to reason as he rushed in to side with the rebels, "B-Bastard! My friends… I saw many of my friends dying because of you! Why?!"

The teen gave a cocky smirk as he grabbed his sword, "Because there are malfested destroying this town, and by the looks of these pieces of filth, I guess I found the ones responsible." He unsheathed a short Greek sword with an arrogant expression, as if these men before him were nothing but dirt he had to stomp on.

Needless to say, Naruto disliked this guy the instant he saw him, "The only one destroying this place is you." The samurai said; he kept his sword in its sheath as he looked evenly at the brat before him, hands in his hakama's pockets, "Who are you to judge anyone? Are these men really malfested as you claim them to be? If so, then why destroy this place?" he said, but, surprisingly for the guards, he did so without hatred. His voice was calm, not icy or enraged, but just serene and peaceful.

The boy looked indifferently at the samurai, "Are you truly that blind?" he said, mocking Naruto's eye-loss, but without getting any response from him, not even a spark of anger, he decided to continue, "Just look at them, they are pale and filthy, they must be malfested."

"If you go by that logic, then you should be taken down too." Naruto replied in perfect control of his emotions, keeping his rage down, which served to make the brat angry.

"How dare you?!" the younger swordsman shouted as he stepped forward, "I am Patroklos Alexandra, a holy knight! I will rid the world of the malfested vermin, all to avenge how they took my sister and killed my mother! There's nothing more righteous than making them pay for taking my family away!"

"Even if you were tortured by them, what gives you the right to kill all these people who you don't even know could be your enemy, or that an entire town must burn for you to get your revenge?" Naruto gave a step forward, looking at Patroklos in the soul, "Killing for such a selfish reason makes you nothing but a murderer trying to justify his whims. Whoever was your mother must be rolling in her grave."

The bratty knight lost it right there, "Don't talk of my mother like that, you vermin!" he shouted as he lunged at Naruto for a stab. However, the samurai made no move to draw out his nodachi.

The guards shouted at Naruto, "Sir, get out of the w-"

In just one second Naruto stepped forward just as Patroklos attempted to drive his short sword through the serene samurai. The whiskered man spun on the tips of his toes, side-stepping the brat as he simply used one hand to deliver a powerful chop at the back of Patroklos' head and the other to back-hand the brat in the gut simultaneously, using the momentum to twirl him around in the air. The result was the self-proclaimed knight slamming hard on the ground with his spine crying in pain. Naruto simply stepped back, hands back in his pockets.

The samurai tilted his head to the rebels and the guards, "You better help as many civilians as you can. I don't need weapons to defeat arrogant murderers like this brat." The soldiers needn't be told twice when several cries for help were heard. Naruto cracked his neck with one hand, "Are you gonna get up?" he asked as if talking about the weather.

Patroklos fumed as he rolled and used his sword as support to stand up on shaky legs, "Y-You scum… How dare you defend those malfested?!"

"Do I really need a reason?" the elder blond asked rhetorically, "You were murdering people just because you call them evil, you don't even know if they deserve to die. If you're really out for making some bastards pay, then it's all gonna end up biting you in the ass." He cracked his knuckles for emphasis, "I guess it's my turn to balance Karma here."

"Shut up! Shut up! Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!" Patroklos cried as he glared at the bastard who tried to lecture him. Him! A holy knight! "Malfested took everything away from me! My father said so, that my sister and our family were taken by those vermin! There's nothing wrong with me killing all of them, no matter if they can't prove it! It's all to rid this world of their disgusting filth!"

"That's not a just cause, kid." Naruto said in soft, calm tone as he dropped into a loose boxing stance, "It's just what you tell yourself."

Patroklos cried once again as he charged at Naruto for a stab, the blond simply tilted his head to the side, avoiding the blade perfectly before he jumped forward. The one-eyed samurai threw his right fist over Patroklos' sword arm, delivering a solid, direct Jolt Counter right into the brat's face. Patroklos himself felt as if his face was sinking in his mouth when Naruto's fist made contact against his jaw. And just as fast, Patroklos found himself bouncing from the ground as blood came out of his nose and mouth. He grunted at the sight of his own blood tainting his outfit, as if just a piece of dirt in it made him a lesser man.

"WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?!" the self-proclaimed holy knight roared as he tried to hit Naruto with his sword, only for the samurai to side-step out of the way to clothesline the brat, making him flip in the air before he landed hard on the ground yet again.

"I'm the man teaching you pain, brat." Naruto said casually, as if not caring for the knight that tried to attack him at all, which was true, "If this is all you can do for a cause you claim to be just, you're nothing but a sad brat playing to be hero without knowing what the word means at all."

The battered knight actually lost it and charged blindly towards the Jinchuuriki samurai, who apparently stood quiet until Patroklos was close enough, to which Naruto avoided the attack at the last second and countered it by grabbing the arm that had Patroklos' sword. The whiskered man punched his opponent in the gut, then the face and finally ended it by lifting his opponent's body above his head and then power-bombing him. Patroklos' whole world ended in pure pain from the onslaught of attacks he had, and said knight still refused to be defeated. He saw his weapon a few feet away from Naruto, to which he decided to play dead until the samurai lowered his guard and thus Patroklos threw some dirt into his eyes, which surprisingly worked as Naruto had to put his hand on his face to take out the dirt, which Patroklos used to his advantage and recovered his weapon.

Meanwhile with Naruto, he finally managed to get his sight back and yet somehow managed to remain calm, after training with toads in the way of the sword and having faced Sasuke, this kid couldn't even faze him. Patroklos tried a sneak attack on the Jinchuuriki only for Naruto to grab the sword by gripping the blade between his index finger and thumb. He gave the kid a tired look and with a simple flick of his wrist he broke the blade in two to the knight's horror, and proceeded to repeatedly smash his fist on the already hurt face of the 'holy knight' until Patroklos was barely conscious. Naruto decided to leave him alone for a moment and thus began to walk away.

Naruto walked to the remains of the short sword and took them, admiring it, "This is a very good sword. But without someone who can wield it and control his anger, it's nothing but trash." he stated as the pathetic excuse for a knight stood silent for a few seconds watching Naruto's retreating back before watching his broken sword in the samurai's hand. "If all you care about is some petty revenge, you are nothing but a joke." He said with a sigh, really not finding any challenge at all from this brat.

"Don't touch it!" Patroklos roared and charged at Naruto, who upon sensing the brat's attack coming just sighed and back-handed Patroklos' face. Once the knight was stunned the samurai lifted his right leg and smashed the kid's head on the ground, stomping on the brat's face.

"Stop fighting, it's just pathetic." The blond calmly stated as he looked down at the beaten knight, "If you are a hero, then why are you killing everyone you meet? Real men don't kill people just because they can. Killing you is a far too merciful punishment, but after what you did, I can't forgive you." the samurai stated as he gripped his nodachi. Suddenly a platoon of the invading knights appeared and looked at their fallen leader in horror. They still couldn't see Naruto's face, which was covered thanks to his straw hat. The samurai simply took a stance as he unsheathed his sword, "Who's next?" he casually asked.

The knights growled, "Tch… Master Patroklos is down, what should we do?"

"We must retreat, Dumas would have our heads if he's hurt." Another replied.

Just as Naruto was about to fight them off, he felt his chakra sensor urging him to look back. The blond instantly turned around and blocked a powerful slash as he came face to face with… a masochist? No other words could describe what he saw: it was a man in skimpy, colorful purple and yellow fuzzy clothing with an unnerving face pulled back by strange bondage-like gear and sharp katar blades, "And you are?" the samurai asked as he took a step back from the bizarre new enemy. He glanced briefly to see what had happened with the invading forces. Unfortunately, the invading knights grabbed Patroklos and took a tactical retreat, meaning they ran away like pansies.

Naruto turned to ask a few questions to this newcomer, about to use a lot of pain as the main method of interrogation, but only found him gone. "Just what I needed… Another war in which I know jack about what's happening." He sighed, sheathing his nodachi. He then took a moment to look at the city, watching how soldiers arrived carrying injured fellow soldiers, rebels and civilians, "Well, can't back down now, not with that brat and his boss on the loose."

XXXXXX

_Dear Mei,_

_I am sorry for not writing back as soon as possible, for several new issues appeared far too suddenly. So far I've ventured into a new continent, and met some new friends. I met four; their leader is named Maxi, a kind man with a good heart and the mentor of the other three. One is a kid named Xiba who is like a younger me but with far more appetite, and I swear to Kami he must have Akimichi blood in him. Then there's Leixia, she's a rather spunky girl, very determined to be stronger and have adventures but means well. And then there's Natsu, a Jinchuuriki._

_No, I am not kidding, I met a fellow Jinchuuriki, but not a host for a Tailed Beast. I will require your assistance and the toads' (to who I already wrote a request for this issue) in helping this one girl with her demon. I decided to take a separate path from these new friends of mine in order to investigate on my own about possible solutions along Kurama. I still left them with one of my Hiraishin kunais to keep in touch with them and meet them once I find something. If you can dig some information about fuinjutsu, especially demon sealing techniques, my gratitude will be immense._

_Now on to the bad news, it seems I have gotten myself in a new war. There is just one offending side while the others consist of people trying to defend themselves from whoever is calling the shots. It seems that a man named Graf Dumas is behind it along someone else. I will try to stop these men, for they are far too much like the Leaf. Mei, if you ever get greeted by them, be wary and fight back with all you have, they seem to be more than meets the eye._

_I wish to end this soon and see to it that Dumas is taken care of. I know I tried to stand aside from the shinobi ranks and live in peace, but don't expect me to do the same when a man like him is hurting so many people. I just hope I can remain hidden from the shinobi world. Once this is over, I want nothing more than meeting you again and being able to talk face to face._

_Sincerely, Uzumaki Naruto._

_P.S. Thanks for the picture._

XXXXXX

_Dear Naruto,_

_While it brings me joy to hear of you managing to find friends and joy, it pains me to hear about this war and Jinchuuriki. I managed to make some proper research in fuinjutsu, but finding something to deal with a demon seems near-impossible. I hope the toads have more luck. As for the war and Dumas, I wish you luck, but I guess you don't need it when you're the man who defeated the Juubi. I also wish for us to meet again soon, but I am also busy. It seems that the remaining Leaf shinobi have moved to other sides of the world, and trying to take them down is proving difficult. Naruto, I am afraid they may be plotting something very dangerous, so please, be careful. Once this is over, all I want to do is seeing you once again._

_With love, Terumi Mei._

_P.S. When we meet in the future, let's go to a hot-spring so I can wash your back._

XXXXXX

Naruto read the letter and sighed, it seemed everyone had their own problems. Then again, it wouldn't be life without problems. He now had an objective once again and a clear knowledge of what he had to do as well as how the consequences could affect him and others. The samurai had to go into a castle, beat up the lord of said place and possibly kill him if he's as unredeemable as Patroklos. He wished to talk some sense into the guy and avoiding murder, but that was part of him not wanting to find more people like the Leaf and Sasuke in this world.

He put the letter away and saved the picture of Mei in her revealing black lingerie for later. He had been let in one of the best rooms at a little inn. The rest of the inns were, just like this one, populated with men, women and even children who managed to survive slashes to their bodies by running away from the invaders. About four nurses marched around, working over-time, and one doctor ran from one room to the next at this inn. Fortunately most of the possible casualties had been healed and were resting in a comfy bed. The town just had a small hospital and a handful of doctors, so many patients had to be moved while the hospital's staff that wasn't attacked had to move the injured into the inns, the innkeepers helping too in healing them. Things had calmed down after the blond helped the remaining guards and rebels carry the townspeople.

It was a nightmare and once it calmed down Naruto slept like a log. Now awake he left a long yawn escape his jaws and called for one of the marching nurses, "How are things going?"

The poor woman wiped her forehead, "So far so good. Fortunately those soldiers left before anyone was wounded beyond human capabilities." She rubbed her face, getting the sleep off, "So far I've treated three entire families in the last hours… I'm amazed the doctors haven't collapsed yet. But considering everyone seems to be able of getting out of here as soon as their wounds get better, that's what matters… So, thank you, Mister Samurai."

"Thank you?" Naruto echoed.

The nurse smiled, "If this town can say one thing for sure, it's that it was thanks to you that those soldiers left. I believe you met my husband; he's one of the guards at the gate. He kept on complimenting your skills and saying how he regretted not seeing you beating the one leading that army. If you made the soldiers' leader run, then I guess he must be right."

"I just didn't want to turn away." The samurai replied calmly, "Not much different from the rest of the guards here."

"But the guards aren't skilled warriors capable of taking on an elite trained knight." She replied, and then bowed, "We still have a lot to thank you. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have work to do."

Naruto nodded and let her pass before getting to his own work. Hours later, when guards, rebels and countless thankful civilians wanted to find him in order to speak to the man who helped them in such a dire need of assistance, all they found from Naruto was a letter in his inn room with a small amount of money to pay for his stay. The note read as follows:

_Thanks for the hospitality._

XXXXXX

"Damn that whoreson! He shattered my father's sword! And called me unworthy of it! I'll make that bastard pay! I swear it!" Patraklos whined out to Graf Dumas, a masked man clad in a large set of armor who just needed lightning and thunder to look more obviously evil.

The dark lord ignored his subordinate's whiny ranting, only giving a brief glance to a dark figure hiding in the shadows, a single red and black eye glowing in the shadows with a soft humph of disgust being his answer. The graf turned to Patraklos who was winding up for another round of ranting, "Patraklos, I suggest you channel your frustration into your training, I'm sure our mutual friend can allow you a few training companions, isn't that right?" There was a strange, mechanical sound, making Graf Dumas smile thinly at Patraklos, "See? He agrees with my request. You are young still, my boy. You have much room to grow. Be patient and you will advance further in your pursuit of power." Patroklos' master gave his student some advice, smiling darkly when Patraklos nodded petulantly at him, "Now, let us speak no more of this samurai. He will meet his end, as all things in this world must. Besides... I have the location of your sister; I promise you'll find her this time. All you have to do is kill more of those vile creatures known as malfested"

The figure in the shadows was soon surrounded by more shadows, who instantly carrying it away seeing he was no longer needed. Patraklos just grinned, laughing to himself as he imagined being able to repay Naruto for humiliating him so badly after showing him who was wrong by killing those abominations called malfested.

XXXXXX

"A samurai?" a strong male voice that commanded respect asked cautiously to his ally.

"Yes, Captain." A second male voice replied, this one gruffer. "The mass murderer Patroklos was taken down by a samurai according to what the townsfolk from the last place he invaded said. Sadly, they know nothing of him, not even his name. However, the guards described him as a righteous, just man."

"We should try to meet and greet this newcomer. If he defeated Patroklos, he may be a far worthier wielder."

"Still the sword's new form seems to fit Patroklos more… Are you sure that is even the real Soul Calibur? Could its loss of power cause it to also lose its judgment?"

"That's why we shall arrange a meeting." The first man said as a strong, warm and bright energy filled the room, "You shall meet Patroklos and lure him here. I shall meet this eastern swordsman myself. We may not know why Soul Calibur changed forms or why it doesn't want me as its master anymore, but we shall try to find the right one."

"Yes, Captain… But, with all due respect, I'd rather place my bets on the samurai."

XXXXXX

"**The brat's essence is nearby**." Kurama stated as he meditated in Naruto's mindscape, focusing on Patroklos. "They sure move fast." Naruto stated with a sigh as he walked through a forest. Trees, grass and a few rocks covered the entire path and kept the other side protected like a wall made by Mother Nature.

However, Mother Nature also did some injustices in the eyes of the blond, mainly the need to feed. Yes, Naruto was hungry. How hungry? He was hungry enough that his stomach's growling scared the birds in a twenty yards radius. He should have stayed for breakfast, he should have taken more provisions, he should have saved some money instead of pigging out along Xiba. But those were mistakes of the past and he couldn't do a thing about them… Granted, he could try to hunt for something. Like the giant bird that walked up to him carrying a humongous sword… Wait a tick…

Naruto rubbed his only eye, assuming the lack of food and skipping breakfast made him hallucinate. Before him, the figure he thought was a large bird turned out to be a grizzled knight clad entirely in a magnificent armor with a bird shaped plate on his breast plate, several steel wings adorning his boots, and moving as if all that weight was nothing but a feather, no pun intended. On the knight's back was a broadsword easily as big as Zabuza's cleaver, and the knight hefted it on his right shoulder with little to no effort as he walked on a set of armor surely as heavy. The man also had long blond hair and a scar on his face across his right eye but leaving the ocular orb unharmed.

Both men couldn't help but arch a brow at the ridiculous similarities they shared: scar over the right eye, large blades, both clad as the warriors of honor and duty from their respective continents, and looking good with long manes of golden hair even if one had it pulled back and the other wore a short, spiky top-knot ponytail, "All right…" the samurai started, "Forgive me for being rude, but right now I am chasing someone who needs a whooping, said someone has connections. Mind explaining who you are to avoid a fight?"

"I am Siegfried, Siegfried Schtauffen." The knight replied just as calmly despite both him and the samurai gripping their weapons, "I came here looking for a blond samurai who fought against Graf Dumas' army, so I decided to investigate a bit about his whereabouts, and here you are. If you are that man, then I am your ally."

Naruto reluctantly sheathed his sword, keeping his hand on his nodachi, "Fine, but if you show any hint of an ulterior motive, I won't hesitate to take you down."

"Actually, I have one." The knight said as he relaxed just a bit, "But for that, you will need to follow me and prove yourself."

Before saying another word, Siegfried rushed at the samurai. Naruto spun around on his heels as he unsheathed his nodachi for a spin attack while the knight raised his broadsword up in the air. Steel met steel in a power-clash that forced both warriors back. Naruto let out a huff in surprise, "You are incredibly strong. Are you even human?"

"I could ask the same." Siegfried replied as he charged once again. Naruto countered by jumping in the air and spinning forward with his nodachi following his motions, creating a destructive windmill that flew at the knight like a murderous flying buzz saw. Said armored man grunted as he used his greatsword to try to push the spinning blond that just defied gravity with this impossible attack. Soon Naruto's spinning lost speed and Siegfried used it give a step forward and push back the samurai who landed softly on his boots.

The knight rushed at the samurai, both slashing at each other in a strange, perfected dance of wit and skill. Naruto used his every sense to read Siegfried's attacks, which were not easy to dodge because of his great-sword's ridiculous range and the fact that he was fast despite carrying about a hundred pounds in armor and more in that blade. Siegfried for his part watched as Naruto moved around him with slight jumps, skipping on his toes from time to time to dodge his attacks, the samurai was more on the defensive than the offensive, using counters whenever he needed which then allowed Naruto to press on the attack without mercy.

Naruto decided to get a bit risky and dug in his heels as his opponent threw a powerful slash at him. The one-eyed swordsman raised his nodachi and kept it by his side, using one hand on the nodachi's blade to push against Siegfried's slash. The force made the Jinchuuriki's shoulders cry in pain while his heels dug in half a foot on the ground. Okay, Siegfried was a physically stronger version of Zabuza. That didn't stop the man trained by toads; he gave a powerful roar and pushed Siegfried back, forcing the man on the defense. Siegfried was shocked when his fellow blond slashed at him fast enough to cut the air and deliver three slashes against his block, each strike was so swift that they were basically delivered at the exact same instant as just one powerful attack.

The two men kept their distances, Naruto holding his nodachi beside his head with the blade parallel to the ground and the tip aimed at the knight while Siegfried held his own beside his hip with the blade also parallel to the ground and the tip aimed behind him. The two clashed once again in a battle that was basically speed against strength. Swift strikes versus brute slashes echoed in the forest as the two swordsmen matched each other evenly. Kurama was amazed to say the least, his host wasn't using his chakra, mostly because that'd mean giving away who he was to a complete stranger, and yet this knight fought on Naruto's level.

Siegfried would tank his way through several of Naruto's techniques, letting his thick armor take the damage to at least get a direct hit on the samurai. Naruto usually replied by using his legs and jumping to a tree, shocking Siegfried the first time he was ten stories in the air before bouncing from branch to branch to try to take down the knight with one final, fast-as-lightning slash. In the end Naruto would reply by using his speed and even a Hiraishin whenever the knight just charged at him without giving a flying fuck about the strikes that due to having no wind chakra behind them could only scratch his armor, and Siegfried would block every attack dexterously with his great-sword every time the samurai was keeping his distance or in the air.

The two got into another stalemate, both trying to push the other back once again with their blades clashing, even creating a few sparks from the friction while the blade chirped in the heat of battle. "Once again, which of us is human?" Naruto asked with a chuckle and a smirk.

Siegfried barely kept his chuckle in check, "Good question." He grunted as none of the blonde swordsmen gave away a damn inch of their ground, "It seems we can't really see who's stronger without one of us going all out."

"So it seems… Wanna call it a draw?" Naruto offered.

"Nice offer, but I don't even know your name."

"Call me Kazama, Kazama Arashi… It's not my real name, but I've been using it to avoid problems with guys as insane and annoying as that Dumas' army."

"You're making it hard to trust you, Arashi… But fine… On the count of three, we each just… step back and talk about this like gentlemen."

"Okay…"

"…"

"…"

"…"

"…we're just sore losers, aren't we?" Naruto rhetorically asked. He gave a sigh and took a step back, ending their dead-lock, "So, can we talk?"

Siegfried sighed and wiped his brow, "I guess, it's a long way to where you're headed, and there are some things you should know about." He replied as a way to say yes before he hefted his greatsword on his shoulder and lead the way. Naruto sheathed his nodachi and reluctantly decided to trust the guy, trap or not, this could help him deal with the graf and Patroklos.

XXXXXX

_Dear Mei,_

_I hope this letter reaches you soon. I know you must be busy but if you have time, I'd like to know how you are doing. So far, I have met a new ally. His name is Siegfried, a knight who may as well be strong enough to take down an army of Jounin without chakra. He's assisting me against my current targets, but he does have an ulterior motive. However, I have talked to him and even fought against him. It seems he's trustworthy but I will still keep myself on my toes. We haven't really said much to each other about our past, and he seems intent on seeing if I am strong. Either if he's worried that Dumas is a great enemy or there's something in his past that mortifies him, I am not sure._

_But I can safely assume he is strong and that he is Dumas' enemy. He's an ally, for now. He's explained to me that Dumas is related to, prepare yourself, a cursed sword. Yes, my first thought was that he was pulling my leg; then again I have a twenty story tall fox in my gut. It turns out he had some history with said artifact drawn to him by his past sins. This sword, by the way he describes it, is far worse than many horrible things I saw in the Elemental Countries. If what Siegfried says is true and Dumas may be related to this artifact he calls the Soul Edge, I really can't stand back._

_Sincerely, Naruto._

_P.S. Send me ramen, I beg of you._

XXXXXX

_Dear kids and Maxi,_

_It's been a while since we met and this letter sent to you by my kunai will seem weird. I have some contacts by this same method, so if you need to talk to me just write me a letter, put it over the kunai and focus your inner energy into the weapon. Anyways, I'm sure you're reading this now, Natsu, so I'll be blunt: this research of mine is being a pain. I am currently investigating on sealing techniques from my land with the help of some friends and close allies. I have received several scrolls worth of centuries of techniques, so let's cross our fingers for something good. All I've gotten so far are vague theories about sealing and a few very advanced techniques that require prices far too high to even talk about. However, I got something that called my interest, similar to a method I once used. It's not entirely safe and is very, very risky, even to the lengths of possibly killing you. Should we get to such lengths, you better train a lot under Maxi and along your friends, because failing shouldn't be an option._

_Sincerely, Naruto._

_P.S. Should we meet again, I'll teach you kids a few tricks if we have the time, and see what Maxi knows about drinking._

XXXXXX

_Dear Naruto,_

_I shall be away for a while. I am venturing in a new land in search for remaining rogue Leaf shinobi. I am truly sorry I cannot speak with you for the next days, but duty calls and this is a battle you shouldn't concern yourself with. But if something happens that requires your help, I will inform you. I have my suspicions that the remaining Leaf shinobi may have an utter motive, and I fear it. While I am glad you have new allies, no matter how questionable they may be, keep them close. Desiring for you to have a normal, peaceful life doesn't seem to change anyone's mind, so I'll fight here with all I have. Don't give up, because I want to see you. I know it's stupid to ask for you to not surrender, but if what you said is true, then please be careful._

_With love, Mei._

_P.S. The toads have miso ramen stands now for you. We thought a quick summoning jutsu to get you something to eat would help you on your journey. If you want to thank me, my back still wants that massage._

XXXXXX

_Dear Uzumaki,_

Leixia's card_: If you're serious about this, please at least look for other methods. Natsu's one of my first real friends and I don't want to lose her. I don't really have anything else to say, just that please, help her live happy. Hell, even Xiba's skipping his meals to help her train in case she needs to be stronger, and I can't say I think of having a break with what you said. So we're not giving up, and neither should you._

Xiba's card_: Good Guy, Leixia and I want to see Natsu free of her clan's angry glares. It's gloomy when she thinks of those idiots around the food, and my meals taste horrible when one of those guys makes her sad. It makes me angry and even makes me lose my appetite. Just *angry face doodle* makes me have that face. If you help her, I will never ask for any of your food if we go to another BBQ._

Natsu's card_: Thank you very much, Uzumaki-sama. I have begun training with my friends, they're just so determined to help me. Leixia is bossier than ever, and yet she shows she wants to be stronger to help me, even Xiba's given me some of his food when I am about to fall from exhaustion. I really want to thank you, it feels like I'm the center of the world now, but in a good way. Should we meet, I'll give you a better fight._

Maxi's card_: Well, thanks to you I feel twenty years younger before feeling forty years older. Those three are trying hard to kick my ass because of your letter, and for once I feel proud. I've met their parents and mentors long ago, and to see them fighting to better themselves, I can't say I'm disappointed at all. Guess the part of you bringing the best out of someone is true in those tales. Next time we meet drinks are on me._

_Sincerely, Leixia/Xiba/Natsu/Maxi._

XXXXXX

As Naruto cried manly tears, THE manliest tears ever as he devoured a bowl of miso ramen, he waited for someone to arrive. Siegfried said that the reason he was here would soon be revealed and that then he'd explain everything since a newcomer would be here and the knight didn't want to repeat himself. So, Siegfried leaned against a wall beside Naruto, enjoying pork ramen as well as the new four letters of his new friends, smiling a tad bittersweet at the thought of maybe having grown up with them and not his team and village.

"This isn't half bad, a bit too salty but still good. But what's wrong with a fork and a spoon?" the knight asked as he used all of his new skills with chopsticks to make sure he didn't lose the grip on a piece of beef from the food Naruto so generously offered him and that he pulled out of a cloud of smoke, which he didn't question because of seeing weirder things.

"Without effort food isn't food, it's just a snack." The samurai said in a wise tone that failed to impress the dead-panning knight as he drank the remains of his bowl with loud gulps, sighing in pure bliss, "So, what are we waiting for?"

"You!"

Naruto had instantly winced, not in pain, surprise or even shame, but in dread. The last person he wanted to see after a nice bowl of his favorite food and possibly the best meal to ever exist was Patroklos. The samurai inwardly sighed and looked at Siegfried, who was calm and thus showed to know about this. But he was relatively calm, fir he had a frown on his face as the scowling, humiliated self-proclaimed knight charged at Naruto. The one-eyed warrior was about to say something, whatever it was at the moment he couldn't remember because the brat grabbed him by his gi and tugged at it in a desperate attempt to shake the older blond.

"Everything is your fault! Dumas, my sword, and my sister! Everything! Everything!" Patroklos cried as he sneered at Naruto's face, said samurai showed a great deal of restraint by not outright bitch-slapping the kid before him, "Ever since I met you things went down-hill! Dumas betrayed me and told me he didn't care for my sister! I bet if I had killed all those malfested I would have found her by now! But he dared to call me a dog, and surely because you defeated me with your cheap tricks! I wouldn't have been weakened and defeated by the damn mutt!"

"Who're you calling a mutt?" asked a man behind Patroklos. He had a mop of black hair, an opened dark purple vest which exposed a crescent moon tattoo on his chest, black pants, and carried a large broadsword that could very well be gigantic crucifix with its shape. He also had an irate expression at the words that came from Patroklos' mouth, and Naruto couldn't blame him. "I defeated you fair and square with all I had, and then found you finally tired of being a puppet to hear this?"

"Shut up, Z.W.E.I.! You know nothing about what I'm going through!" the brat said, roaring at the dark-haired man.

"Z.W.E.I.?" Naruto asked with a raised brow at the odd name.

"That's my name." the man said as he scratched his head, "And I assume you're the samurai who defeated Patroklos here." He then grinned, "I already like you."

"Well…" Naruto started, before gripping one of Patroklos' wrists in his hand, twisting it and causing the brat to cry in pain. It was a simple move implied in several martial arts, mostly Aikido, to make an opponent cry in pain when the eight bones in the wrist twisted at an unnatural degree. Simple but effective, and so satisfying to see Patroklos falling to his knees, "I cannot say I am here to make friends." Naruto stated with a tired sigh, "I thought you wanted help to take down that Graf Dumas. I just want to stop the guy before he and arrogant idiots like this punk kill any more innocent civilians." He said in a very calm, laidback manner, as if instead of twisting someone's hand to the point it was about to break beyond repair he were talking to a colleague in their coffee break. It was a bit unnerving but also imposing for the black haired man.

As Naruto pushed back Patroklos in their new meeting, Siegfried approached them, "Arashi. Patroklos." he addressed the two men, Naruto turning to the oldest of the blond men while Patroklos fumed at being so easily dismissed as a threat. Before the brat could start a rant or a fight, he watched from the corner of his eye as Siegfried threw something at him. The youngest knight caught it and examined it. It was a weapon similar to the gladiator sword he possessed during his fight with Naruto when they first met, but it was entirely made of a very sturdy bluish crystal and had a face on the guard.

"Is this really why you wasted my time, Siegfried, to give some brat a new toy?" Naruto asked, somehow sounding collected despite the amount of disbelief he was experiencing.

"I'll show you how much of a toy it is." Patroklos shouted as he lunged at Naruto. The whiskered blond tilted his head to the side to avoid the direct stab to his face and kneed the self-centered knight in the groin. Siegfried and Z.W.E.I. winced as the kid's face changed colors quickly.

Naruto just stepped back as he let the brat fall down, "Explain, now." he said as he gripped his nodachi in case this turned out for the worst or he was given once again another reason to kill Patroklos. Both could easily talk as Patroklos was busy nursing his bust nuts, trying hard not to puke.

"That sword I talked to you about, Soul Edge, it has a sister sword." the elder knight replied calmly. Naruto's brain almost shut off when he connected the dots and looked at the sword in Patroklos' hands, "Yes, it is that same blade, Soul Calibur. However, it has lost its power, surely looking for a new wielder. I deduced that Patroklos could have a direct link to that, since it was his mother who was the last one seen near both swords. I once wielded it, but now it doesn't respond to me, it hasn't done so in seventeen years."

"Then, question two..." Naruto started as he got into a simple kata, the blade at his side held in both hands and with the tip skywards, "What's my role on this?"

"Soul Calibur is very picky about her wielders." the elder knight replied. "I wanted to come here and test my own might against Patroklos, see who deserved it more. However, you are younger than me and just as strong."

"Then I'll prove myself." Patroklos cried as he got up, gasping and glaring at Naruto, "You damn piece of filth will pay!" he cried in pure rage as he charged the one-eyed samurai. "I'll show you why I am a holly warrior!"

Naruto sighed tiredly, and just as the legendary sword was about to impale his heart, the whiskered man just swatted it away without effort with his nodachi, making Patroklos fall to where his new sword had been deflected to. The younger warrior stumbled back to his feet and glared at the more experienced fighter. He tried to bash Naruto's face with his shield, but the blond moved in. The brat watched as Naruto seemed to move his blade in for a slash to his waist, only for the blade to disappear and a sharp pain to hit his shield-arm. Naruto had made another faint, side-stepping Patroklos, who cried as a quick slash had forced his arm down along his body due to the momentum. Then Naruto just used the dull side of his blade to smash the brat on the face like he had been slapped.

Siegfried gaped, "This is who Soul Calibur chose?" he asked in as much disbelief as his underling had been at first.

"Told you so, Captain. Brat didn't seem like the smart option to me to begin with." Z.W.E.I. replied dryly.

As Patroklos rolled on the ground from the slap he got, he managed to stop himself and force his legs to hold his body up. He watched as Naruto crouched, his sword parallel to the ground and held in a stabbing motion. He then watched as the samurai vanished in a blur of speed and appeared right in front of him. The holy knight cried as he tried to block the attack with his shield while swinging his new sword at the older blond... and just then he noticed that Naruto never went for a stab. The nodachi's tip was on the ground, being dragged behind the blond as he brought it up, cutting through the bridge's wooden floor.

Patroklos cried in pain and horror as his right arm sported a new, deep gash that got his muscles as well, staining his white uniform with blood while his hand felt as if it were about to split in half like his glove. Soul Calibur flew up into the air before being gracefully caught in Naruto's left hand, his right hand moving his nodachi on Patroklos' throat.

"You bastard! You're cheating!" the bratty knight cried as he held his injured arm.

"I just used my sword since you had a better one, last time I just needed my hands." the blond replied swiftly, serene and cool, his voice like a breeze.

"This isn't fair! I'm the one who the damn sword chose! I am stronger than you!" Patroklos cried, trying to prove his superiority.

Naruto pressed the edge of his nodachi on the younger blond swordsman's neck, "If the sword must choose, then it could have done better than a murderer like you." He started to draw out blood from the brat's neck, "How many people have you killed because you called them malfested. If you're supposed to wield this sword, then it'll be over my dead body. I will never let you get your hands on a weapon if it means you'd kill more innocent people!" And, to carry his words, Naruto gripped Soul Calibur tightly and with one swift motion made Patroklos holler in pain. From the elbow to the end of the hand, Patroklos' arm had been neatly cut. It didn't split in half, but Naruto made sure that the wound would be scarred and prevent the kid from ever holding a weapon again. Screams of pain and agony filled the air, before glare of pure hatred was aimed at the samurai.

"You piece of shit." Patroklos growled as he held his bleeding arm.

"Oh, so a holy knight can curse like the everyday man." Naruto taunted as he hefted his nodachi on his shoulder and aimed Soul Calibur at the kid, a silent threat of how out-matched Patroklos was.

"This isn't over… You hear me?! You're vermin, and I will cleanse your kind of this world!" and with those words, Patroklos used his secondary brilliant stroke, the first being fighting, and ran away. "You will pay for this, for stealing and taking everything from me!" he cried, literally, tears of pain and hatred mixed in as he ran away from the samurai.

"That was pathetic." the dark haired man commented.

Naruto sighed, "If he's supposed to be a knight, then he shouldn't play with swords unless he knew what they're for." He looked at his... prize? He didn't feel he could call it that, the fight was too easy, and didn't make him feel satisfied at all.

"So, why let him live?" Z.W.E.I. pressed further on.

Naruto gave the man an evened look, "It'd be a waste of time."

"And taking his arm?"

"I'd rather let him live in pain as my insurance. He will live knowing he failed against me, and thus make me his main target. I can easily take him down, and if he keeps hell-bent o killing others I will cut off his head next time." He then looked at the gruff man square in the eye, "Or I could cut off his limbs and let him live the rest of his life being beaten by those who lose their families to him."

The feral man felt a slight mantle of cold sweat work its way down his back. "Tch... You're messed up."

Naruto smiled warmly at that, "Why, thank you."

Siegfried sighed, looking down at Patroklos, "If it's true that he may return, I will leave that up to you, Arashi. It shall be your problem and your problem only if this turns out to be a mistake." he said to the samurai.

"I'll take care of that should the need arise, I can't promise I will hold back." Naruto nodded, eyeing the sword in his hands, "As for this... How do I know I am its new wielder?"

Soon, the sword responded for him. A bright light engulfed the entire weapon, and before the three warriors knew it, Naruto was holding a weapon fit for a samurai like him. It had changed from the Greek sword Patroklos had to an O-katana. Its blade was made of the holy crystal as the previous sword; the blue handle was simple, looking like any other katana's with a blue round jewel at the end, and the guard was made by two angelic wings circling around where blade and handle met. All in all, it was a samurai's sword, but made by angels.

The samurai whistled, "Not bad."

XXXXXX

However, in a different realm, deep inside the very existence of Soul Calibur, an image of Naruto was being observed by a single entity. "This man..." it spoke in a female, otherworldly voice as a delicate hand composed of crystal reached for the whiskered face, "The power of a demon is merged with his own soul and being, and yet he carries so much warmth, so much power, and such determination... Yes, I guess he will be a far better option than Patroklos. I'll just have to make a few changes to my plans."

Later that night, Naruto could swear he was being watched as he was led by Siegfried and Z.W.E.I. to the former's castle. The samurai was showed a nice, comfy room after a big hearty meal. During the meal, he had been informed of several attacks that were surely caused by malfested, and that Dumas could have a hand on them, so investigating to find out if the dark knight was involved was a good start to find the graf and make him pay for what he did.

However, Soul Calibur had other thoughts, "A samurai that knows more of kindness, honor and pride than a holy knight... What makes you this way, my wielder?" the sword's thoughts echoed in the night, the pure white crystalline o-katana rested quietly by its wielder's bed as he slept. The fire of a candle crackled briefly, and a feminine figure appeared around it, blank and featureless yet still strikingly beautiful in its own way.

This was Elysium in her true form, a beautiful woman made out of the purest crystal. She reached out with a delicate hand, stroking Naruto's hair kindly, and then she disappeared into innumerable shimmering motes that disappeared into her wielder's sleeping form.

Naruto found himself opening his eyes and staring with a sleepy stare at where he found himself at. It was a beautiful place. That was his first thought and what stuck the most, and then it was followed by the idea of how alone he was. This entire…dream, or whatever it was, it was empty. Large marble pillars, a floor made of white hexagons, and a strange white mist with a clear sky that made it all seem as if he were in a temple above the sky. Okay… whatever wine he drank at the table was definitely something he should stay away from in the future.

"Naruto…"

The blond turned around and due to whatever deity that watched over him he managed to avoid making a fool of himself by keeping his mouth from gaping. Before him was a woman, she was simply gorgeous, had a mature body, green eyes, pale skin, and long, braided blonde hair. She also made him gulp due to her attire: a short white clothe acting as a skirt but counting less than a handkerchief and the same kind of cloth covering her massive chest, showing off a large portion of cleavage from… He really needed to look up now, no matter how much gravity the large mass from her chest made his eyes fall into her breasts.

"Is this a dream?" he asked cautiously, because if it was it should include Mei, ramen, and Mei in a cat-girl outfit that consisted on white fluffy thigh-high leggings, matching elbow-length gloves with paws in the palms, a white fluffy tail and white fluffy cat ears, basically, a perfect cosplay for Felicia the Darkstalker… But he was drifting too much into La-la-land.

"I am the spirit of Soul Calibur. My name is Elysium. I am sorry for taking this form, as I need it to speak with you." Elysium bowed gracefully to her wielder, her mouth moving into a kind smile, "I took this form from a woman named Sophitia because she was one of the more prominent wielders of my sword. I modeled my body and form after hers, because it was one of the most beautiful forms a human woman could have, and it would help me speak with my allies." She explained calmly, "Naruto, my wielder... With my aid, we shall protect those you love from harm; that is my oath to you. Together we can stop my foul brother. I promise you, we will help those in need and create a better world for them."

Soul Calibur's embodiment lied easily, she bore Sophitia's form because of Patraklos, but she kept it due to the need of speaking, and she'd use it for Naruto's sake, to help guide him towards her… no, their goals. Her smile widened by an inch as Naruto accepted her offer with a grin. Yes...he was the best wielder she would ever have, and she would gladly welcome him into her paradise, for he had earned the right... Elysium knew what she wanted, and she would have this man hold her very soul to achieve them.

But, his smile started to fade, "Why did you accept me?" he asked calmly, "You tried to have Patroklos as your wielder and I… I can't say I'm not tainted by darkness."

To his surprise, the spirit smiled warmly as she moved to him, reaching comfortingly to his face with a gentle, soft, warm hand that almost made him purr from the affection it showed to him, "I know… I sensed the darkness in you… And yet, despite having a demon sealed in your soul, I can feel it… There's so much light and warmth in you. Naruto, you turned a dark beast into a kind friend, destroyed your own darkness and created such a pure light because of your heart. I wouldn't have anyone else as my wielder."

He smiled softly, "Thank you…" he said honestly, trying hard to stop himself from looking down for this woman was far too… tempting, to say the least.

Elysium smiled, "I need you, my wielder. I need your help, and I will give you my power so we both make this a better world." She once again caressed his cheek, "I trust you, Naruto… Help me rid this world of darkness, to create a perfect world without violence, and maybe we could find our own utopia." She moved closer to him, pressing her forehead to his and looking kindly into his eyes.

And then, the dream was over, making Naruto groan… Damn it, he needed a cold shower.

XXXXXX

"Usually, more people would be grateful that the sword chose them." Siegfried said as he stood at the training grounds of his castle, watching Naruto swing his nodachi around, practicing a few katas to get his head off the ideas of having to fight some ridiculously powerful beings once again and what happened at night.

The samurai sheathed his sword and calmly turned to his new ally, "I'm not most people, I just want to get rid of the bastard who used Patroklos to kill countless civilians." the blond swordsman sighed as he looked at his newly acquired blade tied it on his waist, "I didn't ask for it, but if there's some asshole that needs a kick, well, I better do my job even if it means goodbye to my lazy lifestyle."

The knight raised a brow. "You're not going to test Soul Calibur?"

"If I have to, I will." Naruto replied matter-of-factly, caressing his pure white nodachi's handle on his back, "Yukikaze here is more than enough for me. It's a gift from my master, an old, grumpy friend of mine. If I need to wield Soul Calibur to fight this Dumas and whoever has been helping him destroy entire cities, I will. However..." Naruto looked warily at the crystal sword. Sure, its spirit said some nice words, but that didn't mean he was all at ease with what happened. Sometimes things seemed too good to be true.

"You feel tempted to use it, don't you?" Siegfried said, knowing what was in his fellow blond swordsman's mind, "That sword is one that holds a lot of power, but wishes to use it to purge the darkness of this world."

"That's what scares me." Naruto replied, "It doesn't matter what the power is for, but who wields it."

The knight looked down, knowing exactly what Naruto meant, "It is true, whether it's Soul Calibur or Soul Edge, the power of both swords is terrifying... That's why I think it best to see something for myself." the knight grabbed his greatsword and took his battle stance, making Naruto narrow his only good eye, "If Patroklos, who claimed to be a holy knight, succumbed so easily to his whims because of his hatred to the point Soul Calibur needed a new master, then let me see if you are really worthy of wielding it."

Naruto crouched, his right hand over his new sword, "Okay then..." Naruto started, his eye glinting as he closed it, just before showing Siegfried a red iris with a slit pupil the moment he opened it, "Let's dance!"

Siegfried didn't even bat an eyelash at the sight, but simply charged at the blond, determined to see if he was worthy of the holy sword.

As the fight raged on outside, the inhabitants of the castle needed to investigate what was keeping them awake. "It's too early..." a silver haired woman in her purple nightgown groaned, rubbing the sand from her eyes with her silver hair being a mess, clear signs she was enjoying her dreams. This was Viola, a witch who wasn't happy at the noise she was woken up to.

Z.W.E.I. grabbed his face as he walked to the window, "What is all that about? Is Patroklos back?"

To answer that as a no, a nodachi's blade shot from the walls a few inches from a window, making the two run to said window and watching as the samurai jumped two stories with no problem to yank his weapon from the castle's side. As soon as he landed on the ground, Naruto hefted his nodachi in his right arm on his shoulder while keeping Soul Calibur in his left hand aimed at the tank of a knight that was Siegfried.

XXXXXX

Meanwhile, someplace else, Dumas wasn't exactly happy because of his partner's unhappiness. "_Your brat served… no purpose…_" the figure spoke in a mechanical, disembodied voice, and showed problems at breathing. Not like Darth Vader, but more like Psycho Mantis having lung cancer. "_And your… sister has a new master… according to my spies…_"

Dumas sighed, "Don't worry yourself. I will cover this world in blood and darkness. You will have your revenge and the power you so desire. All we need to do is guide Patroklos the right way… Who knows? Maybe his sister won't be so useless once we make the right introductions. After that, I'll have a proper body for myself, and with enough souls you will be brought back to your former glory, Uchiha."

The figure moved from the shadows to show what remained of Sasuke. His body was kept in a large pod, floating in a bluish liquid to keep him from decomposing thanks to the Leaf shinobi's best. He was nothing but burned flesh, his face was melted with one eye covered by his molten skin and his jaw bones clearly visible, even bones poked out from here and there, with his fingers no longer having flesh at all and some of his guts visible. Speaking of his guts, several tubes were connected to the bottom of the large pod to keep his organs working, an air mask making him breath with a special muzzle to allow him to speak through the tube.

"_You shall keep… your word…_" the unintimidating Uchiha threatened. "_I will find… your pet… and help him for a bit…Then, I want him for… my purposes…_"

Dumas chuckled, "My dear friend, you do not need to ask me for permission to control Patroklos, not that it's hard if you just tell him what he wants to hear. You arrived here carried by your loyal minions, they joined my army to fight for you, and your combined knowledge of the dark arts as well as their technological genius has made me that much more powerful. Do not worry, I shall repay you, and, if what you said is true about this samurai, you can have his soul."

And with that, Dumas left the Leaf's fallen "god" alone in his room, trying hard not to burst into maniacal laughter because he knew everyone had plans, but his were simpler and yet far more effective.

XXXXXX

"You want me to babysit?" Naruto asked at the gates of Siegfried's place, puzzled by the request. After fighting Siegfried to a second draw, he was asked a favor from the knight: to take his subordinates with him.

"Are you usually this rude?" Viola asked, now in her gothic styled black and purple dress with pearls on her hair, her hood covering her head and shadowing her face, and her sharp claws clicking on her arm for an answer.

Z.W.E.I. looked evenly at the samurai, "Captain's orders." He said as the simplest of answers.

Siegfried sighed, "It would be convenient for you to have allies. Soul Edge is not to be taken lightly, and neither are those who are behind it. You could use the help of someone with knowledge of the dark arts and ways to fight said forces."

"I already got my own knowledge, thank you very much." The samurai said as he aimed a finger to his now blood red eye, before returning it to its normal cerulean color. He then took a brief glance at the duo, "They do seem strong, though, I'll give them that. I still know little to nothing about you two."

"We could say the same about you, Arashi." The gruff man replied simply.

"Fair enough…" Naruto replied, scratching the back of his head, "All right, I guess I may as well show my manners since you were kind enough to invite me to your castle… You can come, but you better enjoy ramen because that's all I have and plan to eat." He said deadly serious, making the others realize he was telling the truth.

"You sure we can't stay here and keep guard, Captain?" the black haired man asked, fear for his kidneys obvious in his voice.

"Those are my orders, aren't they?" the knight replied calmly, making his subordinates hang their heads low. He then turned to Naruto, "Viola will guide you to a malfested who has been terrorizing entire cities and towns for the past years."

"And Patroklos never thought of hunting this one down?" Naruto asked with a raised brow.

Viola sighed, "Think of it logically. Dumas controlled Patroklos, so if he kept this one away from him by making that so called knight hunt others down, there must be a reason he didn't make his little puppet face this malfested. Whatever Dumas may have planned, could be an important part of his plan." She then looked cautiously at the blond, "Though your future is still unclear on your actions."

"Oh no…" Naruto moaned, grabbing his face, "You're not gonna tell me you can see the future, are you?"

"Sadly for you, I am and I can." The silver-haired woman said.

"Someone must hate me." Naruto said, before catching himself and looking apologetically at the girl, "Sorry, I didn't mean-"

"Bad experiences with people who believed in fate." Viola stated as she moved her hands up and summoned a magical orb, "I can see it in your past… A man who only thought of fate as the only true thing in the world, people who believed to be heroes but who their sorrow turned them to sin, and a long, blood-soaked prophecy in which you suffered because of fools obsessed with power and revenge."

Naruto raised both eyebrows, clearly surprised, "Okay, I'll bite, but I will still make my own future."

"It seems that way…" Viola answered as she tried harder to see into the future, "No matter how hard I try, I can only see your past, but your future, that's always changing. However, I can see you will need to use all your good judgment sooner than later, Uzumaki Naruto."

Said blond took a step back, watching the others' reactions, not sure if he should be surprised they remained calm, "You knew?"

"She's a good fortune-teller for a reason." Siegfried said calmly, "So, Mister Legend, are you convinced about taking them with you?"

The samurai made a simple arm motion for the witch-girl, "Lead the way."

Viola nodded silently, "You still should be careful about the future. I see many mistakes in your life, and a good part of them not being yours."

Naruto chuckled a bit bitterly, "Lady, you don't need a crystal ball to tell anybody that."

XXXXXX

"That damned bastard!" Patroklos cried as he slammed his only good fist on a stone wall in the middle of an alley. The entire townsfolk had just kept their distance from him after watching the murder in his eyes. "Who does he think he is?! I am a holy knight! I should be killing the evil malfested to rid the world of their filthy existence!"

"Perhaps we can help you, master." Replied someone behind the brat.

Patroklos gasped at the sight of several of his former dark knights, all kneeling before him, "What do you want?!" he demanded angrily.

"Your new enemy, that samurai you spoke of, he's our main target, the reason why we joined Dumas." The dark knight replied swiftly, "He brought us nothing but shame, despair, pain and endless sorrow. If you're willing to hunt him, so shall we, master."

Patroklos scoffed, "How? That bastard took off my arm!"

A medic moved forward, hands glowing green, "We managed to save some of our techniques from that demon. Do not worry, master, you shall be back to full-strength soon enough, and we shall aid you hunt this monster and find your sister."

Patroklos grinned madly as he felt his arm's scar vanishing, before laughing out loud, "Hahaha! Good! Good! I shall teach that piece of shit why I am a holy warrior! I fight the way I see fit, not by what he believes! Hahahahaha!"

The knights soon started to whisper between each other, "The Rokudaime was right, he's too easily lead by revenge."

"The idiot didn't even question if this was a trap, clearly the Rokudaime is a genius like any Uchiha should be."

"All we need to do is set it all up, and then the brat and his sister will do everything for us."

XXXXXX

After leaving to investigate the rumors about malfested killing thousands, Naruto wasn't very sure what to do. Okay, he could take care of the malfested who were terrorizing millions, but to be a legendary blade's master and meeting the really sexy spirit within it wasn't in his plan. He just had it, and was supposed to defeat real, pure evil with it. Siegfried did say Naruto should try to stop the real malfested that Dumas had kept hidden from Patroklos. If they were so important then he guessed he could give it a shot and see how to weaken Dumas in order to bring him out of whatever hole he was hiding and make him pay.

Viola and Z.W.E.I. were busy getting food for themselves after their last meal of ramen bowl after ramen bowl made their kidneys cry. So the blond was alone with his thoughts, not bad in his opinion, though he needed to cool his head. But as soon as he rested in the forest to shove his head in a lake to refresh his skull and ideas, he grabbed his nodachi still strapped to his back and turned around, his hair clinging to his scalp.

He aimed the long blade at... wow...

"And you are?" He asked, surprised that he wasn't stuttering or blushing at who he saw before him.

Long, shapely legs, slender body, a great bust, amazing curves in all the right places and an outfit that hugged it all were some of the things he registered. Here was a woman with cold blue eyes, short silver hair, red lipstick that moved along her rosy lips into a small smile, and a calm aura all around this incredible beauty who had breasts that could put Tsunade to shame. She wore purple: opened coat with long tails and a golden pauldron, thigh-high boots with heels, elbow-length gloves and a bustier that showed her hips, thighs, a small part of her cleavage, and derriere… or it'd show the rear if it weren't for the coat.

"So you are the new master?" she asked casually as she eyed the katana on Naruto's left hip.

"Please don't tell me you also want to fight me for it." he asked with a tired sigh, still not keeping his blade or eye away from her.

The woman chuckled lightly, even playfully, "Sorry, boy, I was just here and got curious... That sword still doesn't have its full power, but you could help reclaim its former glory."

Naruto eyed the crystal sword before shaking his head, much to the silver haired woman's surprise, "Listen, I don't look for power, I don't want power. All I want is to stop someone from needlessly killing a lot of people. I don't even want to use this sword." he affirmed her calmly while sheathing his Yukikaze on his back.

The woman briefly hummed to herself, "Tell me then, why would you wield such a weapon?"

"Far as I know, it can help me protect others from a real monster, that's all I need to know. If it comes down to it, I'll use it."

The woman sighed tiredly, "Such a simple and even stupid mentality..." she said, hoping to see how the sword's wielder would react to a petty insult.

Naruto remained calm, "Well, would you prefer I was a man seeking for power no matter how much blood he'd have to shed? Or an arrogant, self-centered, self-righteous brat who wants to make everything his way?"

She had to be honest there, "Good point... Still, that sword is in need of some serious upgrades. If you're interested, I could help you."

Naruto gave her a wary gaze, "Sorry, but I don't even know your name, miss. So excuse me for not trusting you completely."

"I am Isabella Valentine, but you may call me Ivy." the woman said with perfected and refined mannerisms as she bowed slightly to the samurai, "And would you kindly give a lady your name?"

Naruto let out a weary sigh, "...sorry... That's asking a bit too much. But please, don't take it the wrong way. I have some seriously bad company after me."

Ivy nodded, "I understand." she gave the blond samurai a warmer glance as she approached him, walking confidently towards him, "Still, my offer stands. That sword chose you for a reason, and if you can use it to destroy its counter-part, I will be glad to aid you."

"So you're also an enemy of Soul Edge?" Naruto asked cautiously, keeping some distance between Ivy and him.

Ivy chuckled, "Why? Afraid of yours truly?" she asked casually, "Do not worry, samurai. I am here to help anyone who could destroy that accursed sword. It's thanks to it that I lost more than I can even think of. However, Soul Calibur is very picky with her wielders, and only one with a true pure, strong heart could destroy her brother."

"Then I guess I should make the effort, for you." Naruto said with a calm smile as he closed his eye.

Ivy chuckled, "Sorry, sweet-talk after not trusting me won't get you anywhere. I will keep my offer, as I already said I'm not fond of Soul Edge. Also, next time we meet do show more manners."

Before Ivy walked away, Naruto spoke up, "Whatever Soul Edge did to you... I plan to end that pain." he said, and Ivy found it astonishing at how sincere, confident and even determined the blond sounded when he spoke to her. She turned to look at his smiling face, "I said it already, if I can use Soul Calibur to save others from real monsters, I will do so. So I hope you can forgive my rudeness here, because I'd like your help."

Ivy chuckled inwardly as she closed her eyes, smiling softly, "You're a foolish, indecisive man... But I guess I'll trust you, my nameless samurai." and with that she walked off. "Go to the Valentine Mansion if you want to be a real swordsman, just ask any civilian for directions… I guess I could even make it more than worth your time, but only if you hold more respect for yours truly." And just like that, she was gone.

Naruto sighed to himself, "I'm still not the sharpest tool when around women, am I?" "**Do you really want my cynical, sarcastic remark for this?**"

"Kazama!" Z.W.E.I. called, using Naruto's false name in case there could be any eavesdropper nearby. The samurai turned to see the duo with firewood, some pheasants, and herbs for their ramen-free dinner.

Unknown to the trio, they were being watched, none of them really paid any mind to the murder of crows surrounding them on the trees.

XXXXXX

The trio of eccentric travelers soon found a nice, cozy inn for the night in a small town. Using Naruto's counterfeit passport and his partners' own illegal papers made things easier for them to rest for the night. Naruto sat in his bed with Z.W.E.I. in the other side of the room and Viola in her own, their weapons resting at the side of their beds. No matter what the prices were, things were kept simple: a girl's room was no-man's land. Naruto was currently deeply immersed in several tomes the toads gave him for special demon sealing techniques, as well as three bowls of his favorite miso ramen. The gruff feral man busied himself by playing cards all alone and making no motion to bother his companion as a sort of silent truce. The sound of water in the nearby room indicated that Viola was taking off the dirt off her nubile body.

However, Z.W.E.I. could sum it all up in three words: "This is boring."

Naruto sighed as he put down the fifth tome he read from start to finish. Kurama had made a few remarks of him finally taking something about reading seriously, some with his dark sense of humor, and others kept to himself about how much his host was determined to help someone like him. The blond just rubbed the sand out of his eyes, his cerulean orbs feeling dried up from reading into the night, "Well, what do you expect us to do? We're looking for these malfested; wishing they'd show up may not be such a good idea considering they're supposed to be killing machines."

Z.W.E.I. sighed, acknowledging the samurai was right, "Malfested are people tainted by Soul Edge, so of course they're out for blood whether they want to or not. If they don't take care of their own souls, they'll end up as that damn sword's puppets. While it'd be good to have some action, Soul Edge's influence is something you don't want to mess around with."

"Past experience?" Naruto asked calmly.

The soldier let out a weary sigh, "Let's just say the bastard holding it right now, Dumas, is not gonna get away without my fist in his mouth."

"You should still think rationally." The samurai replied, knowing this from past experiences of his own, "If you just go all out to make someone pay, well, what makes you better than them?"

Z.W.E.I. glared at the blond, but soon forced himself to calm down, "I'm not the only one out to make that asshole pay. Far as I know, he may have also had a hand on taking away Viola's life. Ever since I met her I've tried to help her get everything she lost back, but that bastard of Dumas has to go down or else there might be no life for her."

Naruto nodded, feeling impressed, "Still, if you care for her, think about yourself too. You wouldn't want to die before she's happy, would you?"

Siegfried's soldier chuckled, "Good point, old man… Still, if I gotta go, at least I want to take the bastard down with me. Viola can find her own life on her own, she's strong enough to do so."

"So, what's the story of you two?" the blond asked, grabbing a bowl of ramen and taking time away from his tomes due to finding nothing in concrete that could be a sure way to take care of Natsu's problems.

"I serve Siegfried to take down Soul Edge once and for all, because of what I am, I was chased and the one who led those hunts was Dumas. Viola… your guess is as good as mine. I found her with no memories but holding an orb that told her everything in a person's soul save her own." He then looked at the samurai, "What's yours? I know the fairy tale, but I'd like to hear it straight from the horse's mouth."

Naruto chuckled, rubbing the back of his head, "Well… I guess I could come out clean for once, been a while since I've done so even with myself. After the war was over and I took down the Juubi, I was betrayed by a so-called ally of mine, Uchiha Sasuke, he killed my friends and their families to make me suffer, and took my eye as well. After that, I just decided to take him down one way or another. With some help, I was able to let him to rot where he once stood after taking his arm and cutting him in half. Friends took me in and helped me back to my own health, but to make sure I didn't get rusty they taught me how to fight." He grabbed his nodachi, unsheathing its blade to admire its beauty along his companion, "Yukikaze here is a present from them. They told me it's a sword with a will as strong as its owner… I don't know if they told me that so I didn't get down if I needed to fight, but either way I'm thankful for it."

"So, why fake your death?"

Naruto managed to keep a straight face, though he was surprised by the question. In the end he decided to be honest, "The councils where I come from are just greedy. It doesn't matter who it is or where they're from, those guys just want power. I left because had I stayed those guys would tell me what to do, who to marry, how to live, when and where to fight and all for their own interests. It doesn't really matter who has the power where I come from just that they do their job at being perfect symbols of power and respect for a whole." He rested on his bed, and summed it up as best he could, "So, in the end, freedom over power."

"And yet you need to fight." Said Viola as she walked in already dried up and dressed.

Z.W.E.I. looked at her floating orb, knowing the look in her eye meant bad news, "Is it Dumas or the malfested?"

"Both and something worse." Viola replied calmly as she turned to the samurai, "I hope you can move aside your desire for freedom for this fight."

Naruto gave her a dead-panned look, "Do you have to be so cryptic?"

"It's kind of her thing." Z.W.E.I. replied as everyone grabbed their weapons and moved out.

As they made it to the streets, people were running away from danger, screaming as usual in these situations with large clouds of smoke flying up into the skies and loud yells accompanied by the sounds of fighting. Before Naruto could rush to the middle of it, Viola's hand halted him, "These are Dumas' troops, we know of them. Your main target for this night is east from here. We shall take care of these fools ourselves." And once again, before he could do anything, she turned to him and spoke again, "Do not worry, we're used to fighting these brutes."

"This'll get the blood pumping before a nice, cozy nap." The gruff soldier said with a grin.

Naruto was about to speak again, before Viola knew what was the problem, "East means right from here." He nodded and quickly ran away. Hard for her to believe a grown man still had problems with directions.

XXXXXX

Several streets away, a loud, insane laughter echoed all around as the skips of a woman dancing around the corpses of fallen soldiers echoed through the streets. In the middle of the chaos there was a young girl with grayish green hair done in uneven braided pigtails and purple paint on her face that looked more like a jester´s make-up hummed gleefully at the massacre around her. She wore a jester styled outfit that consisted on little more than straps of pale green and purple around her slim body, with gauntlets on her arms and a ring blade that could be best described as a hula-hoop of death hanging on one shoulder. By the other side of the streets, as far away from the bloodshed as possible, was a young blonde girl with a blue brooch sobbing pitifully to herself. She was clad in a white dress, had freckles on her face, blue eyes stinging with tears, a brown leather vest, matching boots and a round blue Greek shield and matching gladiator sword.

Seeing the crying girl's mood, the jester skipped to her with a smirk, "Come on, honey, it's not so bad. These were just some of those Dumas' guy's troops trying to kill malfested like us." she smirked devilishly as she gripped the freckled girl's face roughly, pulling her closer to her face, "You know we're just a couple of girls wanting to have fun, right? All those humans need to do is die… We're alone in this world, after all. But you have me, don't you, Pyrrha?"

"But… But I don't want to kill anyone, Tira!" the blonde girl moaned as she broke once again into tears.

Tira growled as she gripped Pyrrha's cheeks harder, reddening them and being on the brink of leaving cuts with her gauntlets, "Then be a good little girl and let them kill you, is that what you want, you little bitch?!"

Pyrrha nodded between pathetic sobs, closing her eyes to not look at Tira's, "O-Okay… I'll kill as many people as I need to… Just… Just don't hurt me…"

"Good girl!" Tira chirped, her mood doing a one-eighty spin right there and then. She then looked Pyrrha over, with joyful eyes, almost as if sizing her up in a… lustful manner (3). "You're so cute when you're in pain, Pyrrha-chan! I can't wait until we have some more fun." she let go of the girl, letting her fall on the ground as she listened to the sound of a crow flying nearby. As she let the bird rest in her arm, she was eager for the news, which made her smile, "My, oh my… Pyrrha-chan, it seems two blond men are after you." She practically sang, "One is your brother, coming to look all the way here after you along Dumas' flunkies… But the other's the keeper, a rather dashing samurai whose blood could taste very well."

"My… brother…? I have… a brother?" Pyrrha asked with tearful eyes as she looked up at the jester girl who giggled insanely.

"Yeah, but we need to focus on the samurai. Having him alive could be good." The jester said, thinking to herself, '_Imagine the power of his soul if he is the one holding Soul Calibur instead of her annoying brother. We just need him partially alive for Soul Edge to feed off him, though_.' She turned to the still self-pitying girl and helped her up with sword in hand, "Come on, Pyrrha-chan, this will be fun. I'll even give you something good should you capture him! How's a gift sound for my cute little Pyrrha-chan?" the jester cooed.

The girl nodded and stood on shaky legs, before letting out an "eep" when her target arrived by landing on the ground before her and the jester, creating a small crack web on it with his feet due to landing from two thousand feet in the air. However, as soon as Naruto landed, he couldn't help but arch a brow, "What's a clown doing here?" he asked, referencing to Tira's outfit.

The jester smirked as she licked her lips, skipping to the samurai, "Well, aren't you cute for an old man? Guess this could be fun for me, but sadly, Pyrrha-chan needs to get off her cute, little butt." And to make emphasis on that, she stomped as she looked at the freckled girl, who whimpered as she got on her feet, sword in hand and shield to her side. Pyrrha used her shield to shrink behind it as much as possible while standing up, hoping it'd protect her from any harm.

Naruto saw more than enough and approached the jester, a hand on his nodachi. Just as soon as he was about blade reach from the sadist's neck, he heard a sob and heavy steps, making him lean his torso to the side to avoid getting disemboweled by a rather poor and fearful stab from the freckled blonde. He growled as he used one hand to put his weight in and with a spin of his body, balancing his center of gravity, he kicked the girl off the ground with a sweeping kick. Pyrrha cried again, sobbing as she held her shield closely to her chest. Naruto got up and grabbed his nodachi again, ready to fight for serious. Unfortunately for him, he might be too merciful, for the tears in the girl's eyes made him doubt himself, which allowed the crying ingénue to jump up and slash at the blond.

Letting out a yelped "Shit!" Naruto grabbed Soul Calibur with his left hand and managed to parry the blow, using the crystal sword to take the impact instead of his left lung. Pyrrha whimpered pathetically as she crawled backwards, shakily getting to her feet as she looked at him with teary eyes. Naruto once again felt guilty, but now knew that the scared look was a distraction. This girl, or whatever she was, showed to be some real monster under that wimp mask.

"**Focus, damn it!**" Kurama growled in his host's head, "**You and I can sense the killing intent using from this whining bitch, so if she tries to take your head you rip off her arms!**" Naruto mentally groaned as he put Soul Calibur away and held his nodachi, '_Glad to see you're still the same bloodthirsty bastard I met since day one._' He said with a sarcastic chuckle. "**Laugh while you can, meat bag, these tarts need to learn some manners.**" Naruto growled, for once unsure of what to do…'_Of all the times I'm told I'd make a harsh decision, this has to be the worst_.' "**What of Sasuke?**" '_He doesn't count._'

**XXXXXX**

**And that's chapter one of this long two-shot. There will be a poll in my profile asking for something I'm unsure on what to do: spare Pyrrha or downright take her out of her miserable life. Now, as many others, I actually despise Pyrrha, but thinking back it's Tira who made her what she is… and if she lives I'd let her stay in her malfested form which is the good version of this character. If you say/think/mumble/write/review about the Pyrrha Omega being the bad side you're wrong and should be punched because P. Omega's actually badass.**

**1. I made her just three years older than Naruto to balance age here with him and the girls.**

**2. Get that reference, earn an imaginary cookie.**

**3. Sorry for the lesbian stuff, but when Tira's yanking on Pyrrha's leash so much in the game it's kinda hard not to picture it. Either I or one of the writers have a dirty mind; please tell me it's the latter.**

**4. You may think I made Patroklos too weak, right? Wrong. Patroklos is an impulsive Gary-Stu brat who shouldn't have won any of the canon victories. What seventeen years old twat wins a fight against a far more experienced man like Siegfried? The prick's a Gary-Stu! Besides, as said already, he is impulsive, so Naruto taunting him to win due to having his Sage Mode senses and getting rid of his darkness would mean he'd have more control both emotionally and physically in a fight, while Patroklos would just see red and try to kill him no matter the consequences. Patroklos just rushes in thinking everything he does is right and that if anyone defies him they should die by his blade and feel honored, and this happens through the whole game. Yes, I am serious when I say the whole game.**

**5. As you may have noticed, yes, I do not hate ALL of the new characters, but mainly because we know NOTHING about them. Patroklos and Pyrrha on the other hand, we know everything about them and it doesn't help but make me hate them. But, as a good judge of character that I want to be, hopefully, I do let the new guys get out of my Chamber of Hatred because they suffer the same fate as most of the Twilight cast: being shoved away without any form of existence or personality so bratty twats get all the screen-time and importance while these poor guys are just tools to make the main characters look "cool". On that note, I feel even sorrier for Maxi and his trio of protégés because they were used so Patroklos could kick their asses and be more "righteous". God I hate him.**

**6. Yeah, I don't like Pyrrha. I can feel a bit sorry because she was being used and all, but she gets on my nerves, follows someone who is so obviously evil you want to smack her in the head, and her personality… Frankly, I usually like shy, timid, cute girls as much as dominant, femme fatale badasses for being sweet and all. Pyrrha on the other hand… She cries every fucking time she has a sword in her hands, cries sorry all the time she's fighting, denies that she massacres many in the search for someone to be for her all the time, and makes Hinata Hyuuga look like Wolverine. In short, Pyrrha is annoying beyond belief, and I prefer her Omega-self over her any day, at least she didn't cry and, in my opinion, looked way hotter… may be the glowing deadly eyes.**

**7. I know many of you have problems with this Naruto being heroic in a simple way without any dark parts affecting him. Here's my retort: I hate, and I mean HATE it when writers make a Dark Naruto. Now, before someone calls me a hypocrite, flames me or says it's the best kind of Naruto, let me list my reasons which I hope at least some of you will take seriously and in a mature way:**

**a. Dark Naruto is basically Sasuke in most fics: revenge, power, getting everything their way. I am sorry to say this, but in most fics it's just a guy with a dark past wanting revenge and getting power-up after power-up like the Mary-Sue the Uchiha dick-hole is. Some challenge, humbleness and acknowledging he can't beat everyone by himself would be nice.**

**b. Repetitive personalities based around him wanting revenge: it's all just him being a stoic, emotionless badass who is above everything. In my "Castlevania: Lord of Kitsunes" and my "Redemption of the Kitsune" fics I may make him have those attributes, but Naruto is out to stop evil, NEVER, ever out for revenge. Those two Naruto's are designed to follow a righteous path despite the blood.**

**c. Most of the fics are the same: he gets betrayed/killed/sent to another world, then becomes stronger, has his revenge and then everyone has lemonade. Okay, while I also want stories to end like that and have certainly done so, someone could at least put a plot-twist like him doing all of that to save/help someone, maybe the world or at least kittens. For example, in my Castlevania crossover I had him trying to save the world from being ruled by the Leaf, not very original but at least I tried to make up for it by having some of the most challenging fights I could write.**

**d. He lacks a personality that could balance his darkness. Remember this: a dark character doesn't mean an evil character. If I must be attached to a dark character, at least make them likeable and somewhat relatable. Ragna the Bloodedge may be a fugitive, but he's tragic, determined, has a rotten luck, enjoys time with whatever few people he can call friends, and is someone I'd talk to.**

**e. His virtues lack flaws. I mean, being strong, kind, just, etc. To truly have virtues, give some contrast with flaws. Make him feel like he is truly fighting for something so he can be a better man. I am not perfect with this, but I try. I know it's not for everyone since in some of my fics I just get flamed because of putting him in a difficult fight in which he needs help, or because I make him your typical righteous hero, even a few cliché lines in which he spares an enemy because he actually cares or needs the information out of them. I will not lie; I can also use a lot of help for making this part work, but I like it more than making him a self-centered Kratos rip-off.**

**f. Dark doesn't mean evil. Several writers think that a dark character must kill everyone in their way. Question: is Batman evil? No, he may brood and all, but he cares and does what is needed with honor. And before you say he's on the light side of things, the dark knight threatens criminals, scares the crap out of them, ignores the law to be a vigilante, and doesn't give a fuck unless criminals are all nice and cozy in full body casts.**

**g. Character development. Actually, this is just nitpicking. I usually never have a problem with the character development in these fics because, well, Jesus Fucking Christ, Kishimoto's character development is atrocious and several fanfic writers, even those who are newbies, surpass him. With these dark fics I'd just like to see more of his motivations for doing what he does and how it changes it, no matter if it's subtle or over the top. What I'd like is feeling that I am seeing someone grow, not just being the same brooding guy from point A to point B.**

**Man, that surely got things out of my chest. Anyways, see you in my next fic, probably gonna be… Oh look, a puppy!**

**Swordslinger out!**


End file.
